Waakzaamheid 1605

This is "Waakzaamheid," an engraving by Raffaello Schiaminossi, created around 1600. The composition is dominated by a central female figure, Vigilance, rendered with meticulous lines that define form and texture. The hatching technique creates a play of light and shadow, adding depth to the two-dimensional surface. Schiaminossi employs a symbolic language common in Renaissance allegories. Vigilance is accompanied by a goose, an attribute denoting watchfulness, while she holds a lamp, an emblem of enlightenment and awareness. The balance between the figure and these elements structures the overall meaning, directing our eyes to the details that encode the work's message. By examining the formal arrangement, we can infer that Schiaminossi intended not just to depict but also to instruct, using the visual rhetoric of his time to convey abstract concepts. This engraving, with its balanced composition and controlled lines, serves as a mirror reflecting the intellectual and moral values of its era.