De allesweter 1675

"De Allesweter" (The Know-It-All), an etching created by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli in 1675, depicts a man seated amidst bookshelves. The figure is depicted in a wide-brimmed hat and a flowing robe, pointing to various books while simultaneously reading another. The image satirizes the vanity and arrogance of learned men who believe they know everything, highlighting the limitations of human knowledge. This piece is a masterful example of 17th-century Italian etching and exemplifies the use of satire in art.