A Fool in the Service of the Devil and a Virtuous Man, from Hymmelwagen auff dem, wer wol lebt... 1517

Hans Schäufelein created this woodcut, titled *A Fool in the Service of the Devil and a Virtuous Man,* as part of a series of biblical illustrations in the early 16th century. Schäufelein lived during a time of massive religious and social upheaval, marked by the rise of the Reformation. This work stages an encounter between good and evil, where the figures are marked by their status and moral standing. The crowned figures on either side represent virtue and vice, respectively. Between them, the ambiguous jester is caught negotiating the terms of his own moral allegiance. Schäufelein uses the woodcut medium to emphasize stark contrasts of light and shadow, mirroring the theological divide. The image provides a glimpse into the anxieties of the period, reflecting the precarious balance between faith and earthly temptation. Consider how the artist uses familiar stereotypes to represent complex ideas about power, morality, and individual choice in a world in the midst of great change.