Poverty is Easier to Carry than Riches 1590 - 1594

Curator: This engraving, now held at the Rijksmuseum, is by Hendrick Goltzius. Executed sometime between 1590 and 1594, it’s entitled, "Poverty is Easier to Carry than Riches." Editor: It’s intense. The stark, almost exaggerated lines really grab your attention. There's such a strange mix of discomfort and...energy in the figures. Is it meant to be humorous? Curator: In a sense, yes. Goltzius was known for his Mannerist style, characterized by exaggeration and artifice. Here, he presents a moralizing caricature, quite typical for the era, commenting on social attitudes toward wealth and poverty. The strong man carrying the rather unattractive old woman symbolizes poverty carrying riches. Editor: So, this is commentary on how wealth can become a burden? Is it really a message about the moral lightness of poverty or perhaps more accurately an indictment of wealth’s corrupting influence? The limp, almost lifeless figure being held by the other hints at the burdens and the unequal labor within that power dynamic. Curator: Precisely. You see, the art of Goltzius and his contemporaries served a didactic purpose. They reflect anxieties about the rise of mercantilism and changing social hierarchies. The plump, rather unattractive woman, representing riches, is clearly a "burden" in more than just a physical sense. Editor: It feels… complicated. Because the image itself embodies a certain power dynamic, doesn't it? A privileged artist, in a sense, passing judgement and making a commentary, using art as an instrument to comment about wealth inequality of that day. It feels less a celebration of the impoverished and more of a caution to the wealthy. The fact that this image exists and is preserved highlights those contradictions, especially now in this museum. Curator: Absolutely. What’s particularly compelling is the subversion of classical ideals through a very modern, almost grotesque, lens. It’s not just about beauty; it’s about power, wealth, and the societal pressures surrounding those concepts. Editor: Right, it invites us to challenge conventional values and see beauty or, rather, meaning in unexpected places. Thanks. That helps contextualize what I'm seeing. Curator: My pleasure. Analyzing the context surrounding pieces like this allows for so much interesting insight and perspective.