Gulzigheid 1558

Curator: So, tell me what strikes you first about Pieter van der Heyden’s "Gulzigheid," made around 1558. Editor: Utter chaos! In the best way, of course. It’s like a Bosch painting compressed into a single, overwhelming image. Just bodies and bizarre contraptions everywhere. What a trip. Curator: That chaotic feeling is entirely the point. It's an etching, originally designed by Hieronymus Cock, and part of a series illustrating the Seven Deadly Sins. "Gulzigheid" is Dutch for "Gluttony." Editor: Ah, that clarifies a bit. Immediately I am struck by how he visualizes excess. There are rivers of something, perhaps ale, folks diving headfirst into barrels...a figure being ground by a mill reminiscent of purgatory...and all kinds of monstrously cute creatures lapping it all up! Is it me or is there a weird sense of joyful abandon here? Curator: Indeed. There is both horror and humour, but these scenes are loaded. The bloated figures, engaged in unrestrained consumption, point to social anxieties of the time around the burgeoning merchant class and their newfound wealth. It also alludes to popular criticism around issues of economic inequality. Editor: The class thing is so interesting. Look how central the figure under the table, being sick into what looks like a little font is. It seems that Van der Heyden isn’t only indicting a specific economic class but all human impulse toward ‘more’ and ‘excess’. Curator: Precisely. And consider how the artist used line and texture here. It’s not about refined beauty, but grotesque realism, isn’t it? Editor: It’s like a visual assault, yes, a direct mirroring of the sin itself. He has created such intricate little dramas packed within each section of the print, prompting a deeper reflection on consumption’s effects on individuals and society. Okay, Van der Heyden, I am here for it. Curator: I completely agree. And looking at the piece reminds me that perhaps excess, consumption and greed are issues for every age, including our own. Editor: Absolutely. I might think twice before grabbing that extra pastry tomorrow! Food for thought indeed, pun intended.