Met rijkdom, macht en genot verleidt de duivel de mens 1550

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this artwork, "With wealth, power and pleasure the devil seduces man," using engraving techniques. Note how the Devil, a central figure here, paints an alluring image on a canvas, promising earthly delights like power, pleasure, and riches represented by symbols. This recalls earlier depictions of temptation throughout art history, such as Eve's temptation in the Garden of Eden. The Devil's act of painting temptation can be paralleled with similar imagery found across different cultures, where deceptive appearances mask underlying dangers. Consider too, how the binding of the figure by the Devil at the right, recalls similar depictions of enslavement and subjugation from classical antiquity. These images invoke a psychological response, highlighting our collective fears about succumbing to temptation. The motif of deception, seen here, continually resurfaces in art, mirroring our ongoing struggle to distinguish between illusion and reality. The image evolves in meaning, reflecting the changing moral and ethical considerations of each new generation.