Geduld 1552

Heinrich Aldegrever created this small engraving, titled "Patience," in 1552. The virtue of patience, personified as a statuesque woman, is adorned with symbols of nobility and divine favor. But this is Reformation Germany, and Aldegrever was deeply invested in critiquing the traditional institutions of power, both secular and religious. Note how Patience stands on rough ground, with ruins, not palaces, in the background. The banner she holds has a dove, a symbol of peace but also of the Holy Spirit, suggesting spiritual fortitude. The heraldic shields, symbols of worldly status, are more ambiguous; the crests feature animals, perhaps mocking the pretensions of the landed gentry. The Latin inscription reinforces the theme: "Patience, full of quiet, is given to heroes, which God has sent from the citadel of heaven." To fully appreciate Aldegrever's social critique, one might delve into pamphlets and printed sermons of the period. Attending to the institutional and political contexts is essential to understanding the artist’s message about inner strength and the vanity of earthly power.