Deugd en Faam verjagen Gierigheid 1743 - 1747

Editor: This is "Deugd en Faam verjagen Gierigheid" made between 1743 and 1747 by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. It's an engraving. It feels… chaotic. Lots of figures swirling in the clouds, some triumphant, some not so much. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Immediately, the stark contrast between Virtue and Fame, aloft and radiant, and Avarice being cast down catches my eye. Note how Virtue is bestowing the wreath of glory. The imagery is incredibly potent – the figures themselves act as symbols, almost like characters in a morality play frozen in a single, powerful scene. What feelings are conjured by the symbols themselves, apart from their roles in the composition? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about them that way. I guess, seeing Avarice falling feels almost… satisfying? It's like a visual representation of overcoming greed, a concept everyone understands. But why render it as a circular print? Does it remind you of coins? Curator: That’s perceptive. Circular formats often carry implications of cycles or completeness. It makes me wonder, does the roundel reflect a constant struggle – an eternal recurrence of Virtue and Fame combating Avarice, or an emblem meant to be framed and studied like the morals themselves? It calls to mind similar cycles in religious imagery as well. Editor: So, it's like a snapshot of a battle that never really ends, but always needs to be fought. That's actually quite thought-provoking. I like it! Curator: Indeed. And within that constant battle, the power of visual representation reinforces cultural ideals and offers tangible guidance for navigating our moral landscape.