Verkeerde Overtuiging leidt de wereld naar de hel 1575 - 1581

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving called "Verkeerde Overtuiging leidt de wereld naar de hel" - meaning "Wrong Belief Leads the World to Hell" - in the late 16th century. In it, we see classical figures enacting a morality play. Opinion, identified by the inscription above her head, forces a cart carrying the globe. Coornhert was a writer, philosopher, translator, politician, and artist. His life was deeply embedded in the religious and political conflicts of the Netherlands as it struggled for independence from Spain. Coornhert was exiled, imprisoned, and eventually forbidden from publicly speaking or writing due to his beliefs. Here, Coornhert uses the visual language of allegory to express his frustrations with the state of the world. The figure of Veritas, or truth, lies bound and asleep as Opinion leads the world to hell. Justice flies away and only deceit remains. The print conveys a deep sense of disillusionment with the corruption Coornhert witnessed. But it also offers an emotional appeal for reform, inviting viewers to reconsider their beliefs and actions.