Allegory on Vanity 1600 - 1640

This is an engraving called Allegory on Vanity, exact date unknown, by an anonymous artist. Engravings like this one, were intended to be widely circulated. Often, the allegory, or hidden meaning, in the image would have been better understood by its contemporary audience than it is by us today. The artist critiques vanity through the depiction of an extravagantly dressed woman, contrasting her with the kneeling man weighed down by worldly possessions. The windmill in the background suggests the ceaseless and ultimately futile nature of earthly pursuits. What I find striking is how this image speaks to a very gendered critique. The woman, adorned in finery, embodies vanity, while the man is burdened by the weight of his material goods. The print thus offers a potent commentary on the perceived excesses and moral failings of its time, but its gendering of these failings feels particularly acute. This artwork then serves as a mirror, reflecting both the values and the biases of a society grappling with its own sense of self.