De Deugd in strijd met de Onwetendheid, de Dwaling en de Vooringenomenheid 1585 - 1595

This drawing, titled "De Deugd in strijd met de Onwetendheid, de Dwaling en de Vooringenomenheid," is an anonymous work at the Rijksmuseum. Its detailed lines and dynamic composition create a scene of intense struggle, rendered in delicate brown ink. The figures are dramatically lit, emphasizing their forms. The composition uses contrasting shapes to represent abstract concepts. Virtue, seemingly abducted, is flanked by Ignorance with bat wings and Error with bound eyes, while Prejudice lies defeated below. The linear quality enhances the emotional tension of the scene. The artist uses classical references to explore the Enlightenment values of reason and knowledge against forces of irrationality. The drawing's engagement with allegory serves not only to illustrate a moral theme, but also to question the clarity of these oppositions. The image exists in a state of flux between these extremes, prompting us to question whether these positions are fixed, or constantly shifting.