Embleem met allegorie op zedigheid 1681 - 1737

François van Bleyswijck created this print titled "Embleem met allegorie op zedigheid" sometime around the late 17th to early 18th century. The artwork is organized around a central oval which immediately draws your eye to the allegorical figure contained within. The composition is structured around binary oppositions. On the left, the figure holds a staff topped with an all-seeing eye, a symbol of vigilance. On the right, she extends scales reflecting her own face, representing the virtue of modesty. These symbols are not merely decorative; they function as signs within a semiotic system that invite you to decode the print’s underlying moral message. The artist uses a structured arrangement to convey complex ideas about virtue and self-awareness. The precise lines and balanced composition serve not just an aesthetic purpose, but also function as part of a broader cultural discourse on morality and representation.