Fortuin en de arme man 1778 - 1785

This print, made by Noach van der Meer II, captures the elusive dance between poverty and fortune. Above a humble worker, we see the allegorical figure of Fortune, semi-nude and floating amidst the clouds, bearing a billowing cloth. Fortune, often depicted as female, here appears as a male figure. This recalls the androgynous nature of divine figures, embodying both masculine and feminine aspects. The cloth itself is a symbol of chance, randomly revealing and concealing. We see echoes of this in Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’, where Zephyrus blows the winds that carry Venus ashore. Here, the cloth of fortune threatens to either bless or blind our mortal man below. The worker's gaze toward Fortune is a poignant gesture of hope, but also ignorance. This dance between the celestial and the terrestrial reminds us that fortune is a capricious force, capable of elevating or abandoning us. It speaks to a deep, subconscious anxiety about control and destiny that resonates across time.