A Proverb: Wealth and Poverty 1560 - 1606

Curator: Look at this fantastic example of Northern Renaissance art—"A Proverb: Wealth and Poverty" by Karel van Mander I. It’s a drawing using ink, pencil, and wash on paper and it dates somewhere between 1560 and 1606. It's currently residing here at The Met. Editor: What strikes me right away is the almost unsettling contrast. You've got this cozy scene, but there's something kind of melancholic about it all... A tangible weight of morality hovering in the air. Curator: Well, that morality is literally embodied in the figure behind the two men at work, he has a sort of knowing sorrow. It represents, essentially, the inevitable presence of lack, alongside worldly pursuit, perhaps an ever-present warning. Editor: The figures are certainly captivating; the poor man with the knowing eyes. Then those who appear to be comfortably wealthy. But also, this is no portraiture, it strikes me as an allegory staged like genre painting, to be able to present a clear image and message. I can't quite put my finger on the emotion, but perhaps its satire. Curator: Satire indeed. The tools used could very well indicate their line of work or their efforts to make or build their riches, it contrasts strongly with the world of that elder character whose life probably consisted in surviving alone on very little resources, an unavoidable part of their economic choices. Editor: And that division of labor – I find it so compelling. It brings to mind the relentless cycle of accumulating and diminishing fortunes... the rich who get richer, the poor stay poor—that kind of commentary still resonates today. The text underneath makes a potent statement and underscores the very same contrast between rich and poor, prosperity and deprivation. Curator: Exactly. Its symbolic potency is amplified by the economy of lines in the artwork—suggesting even simplicity cannot erase these ingrained tensions. We continue finding iterations of this concept through generations. Editor: What a reminder to reflect, not just on material things, but also on the invisible architecture of value that shapes our lives!