Flid (Diligentia) 1615

Jan Saenredam created this print, "Flid (Diligentia)," using engraving techniques. The composition centres on a female figure, embodying diligence, set against a backdrop of classical architecture and a distant landscape. Saenredam's use of line is meticulous, creating a rich play of light and shadow that models the figure's drapery and defines the architectural forms. Note the contrast between the precisely rendered foreground and the more loosely defined background, creating a visual hierarchy that emphasizes the allegorical figure. The texture in her dress and the column are finely wrought, demonstrating a commitment to detail. The print functions as a semiotic structure, employing symbolic elements—such as the tool in the figure’s hand—to convey the concept of diligence. Saenredam’s formal choices reflect a broader cultural interest in the representation of abstract virtues, and how such representations challenge established meanings through their visual articulation. Consider how the artwork invites ongoing interpretation through its formal properties.