Embleem met engel die man overtuigt van de blijdschap die hij zal voelen als hij de weg van de deugd volgt 1620

Editor: This engraving by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert from 1620, titled "Emblem with an angel persuading a man of the joy he will feel when he follows the path of virtue", is incredibly detailed. It's striking how he divides the scene between heaven and hell, almost like a moral compass. What do you make of it? Curator: It's fascinating, isn't it? This work operates through a dense network of symbols that were widely understood at the time, although less so today. Notice how the lower realm, filled with devils and suffering, contrasts with the serene garden above, overseen by divine figures. Editor: The contrast is obvious. The figures in hell look so tormented, and those in heaven are positively beatific. What’s the pillar representing? Curator: The pillar acts as a visual and symbolic axis, doesn't it? It could signify the path, laden with struggles ("G"), that one must take to reach virtue. Think of the steps one must take, from temptation and earthly pleasures, up to reason and ultimately divine grace. Where does our attention settle, what details speak the loudest to you? Editor: Definitely the angel, guiding the man. The act of persuasion seems so key. I also noticed the symbolic letters all over the piece, like a code I need to unlock. Curator: Indeed! Those letters and the surrounding vignettes create layers of meaning, urging the viewer to decipher the rewards for a life of virtue against the consequences of vice. These symbols weren't arbitrary; they drew on a shared cultural understanding. Each figure tells a tale. They serve to constantly reaffirm values from antiquity through faith. Editor: It's like the artist is constructing an entire symbolic language. Thank you, I’m left considering the meaning of seemingly straightforward images! Curator: And consider that, in the right hands, these images held immense social and psychological power, did they not?