Rijkdom en Macht doen hun intrede in de maatschappij 1604

This engraving, made by Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert, presents us with a scene laden with allegory. The medium itself, etching on metal plate, is key to understanding the work. This was a reproductive technology, allowing for the wide dissemination of images. Note how Coornhert uses the crisp lines achievable through etching to draw a sharp distinction between labor and luxury. On the left, you see a flurry of construction, the beams and blocks depicted with meticulous detail. The workers are dwarfed by the buildings they’re erecting, their labor feeding the growth of the city. In contrast, the right side of the image shows a figure kneeling before a seated ruler in a lavish interior. The money bag held by the central allegorical figure connects these two zones – it is the product of labor that funds the opulent lifestyle of the elite. Coornhert thus uses the reproducible medium of engraving to comment on the social divisions perpetuated by economic inequality, a theme as relevant today as it was in the 16th century.