Gulzigheid 1636 - 1700

This print, titled "Gulzigheid", was made by Jean de Weert in the 17th century. The dominant image is of a man clutching a large vessel, his expression one of profound absorption. This vessel, a container of sustenance, becomes an emblem of "Gulzigheid" or "Gluttony", a vice that has preoccupied artists and moralists for centuries. Consider the vessel as a symbol. In ancient Greece, the amphora held not just wine or oil, but also stories and rituals. Here, the vessel overflows with a different kind of content: insatiable desire. We can find echoes of this motif in later works, where the cornucopia, similarly brimming, represents abundance, but also the potential for excess. The way the man embraces the vessel is telling. It's an almost desperate embrace, reminiscent of mythological figures clinging to objects of power or obsession. It is a timeless psychological tableau, capturing the human struggle with desire and the fine line between sustenance and self-destruction. The motif is not linear, but cyclical, resurfacing and evolving across different eras.