Dwaasheid van drankzucht 1556

"Dwaasheid van drankzucht" (Foolishness of Drunkenness), a 1556 engraving by Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert, is a complex allegory. The image shows a man holding up a scale with a barrel of wine on one side and a nude man holding a cup on the other, indicating the weight of indulgence and the negative consequences of excess. Two figures in the foreground represent the downfall of youth, highlighting the dangers of alcoholism. Coornhert's work aimed to provide moral instruction and address societal issues. The engraving is a powerful example of 16th-century Dutch printmaking and moralizing art.