Door Blinde Begeerte en de hoop op rijkdom wordt de mens meegesleept 1550

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving, “Door Blinde Begeerte en de hoop op rijkdom wordt de mens meegesleept”, sometime before 1590. The composition is dominated by a stark contrast between the rough, textured landscape and the smooth, idealized human figure struggling to climb. This contrast immediately draws the eye, creating a visual tension that speaks to the artwork's deeper themes. Coornhert uses line and form to construct a semiotic system where the arduous climb signifies the toils of human ambition, spurred by the promise of wealth. The figure's strained muscles, rendered with meticulous detail, highlight the physical and moral exertion involved in this pursuit. Meanwhile, the cherubic figure dangling a rope from above introduces a layer of complexity. The tension is palpable; the viewer is left questioning whether the pursuit of wealth is a divinely sanctioned endeavor or a perilous trap. The engraving's visual structure doesn't offer easy answers, but invites ongoing interpretation.