Hope 1604 - 1654

"Hope" is a drawing with pen, brown ink, and watercolor made by Hans Ulrich Jegli around the 17th century. Jegli created this artwork amidst the religious and political conflicts of the Thirty Years' War, a period profoundly shaping European identity. The drawing depicts a nude female figure reclining against an anchor. The text above the figure in old German states: ‘Then may my fortune stand fast! So lasts longer hope’. Traditionally, allegorical figures of hope are forward-looking, but here, Hope rests, her expression contemplative. Is this a moment of respite, or of resignation? Jegli’s representation of Hope, challenges conventional expectations, inviting viewers to consider hope not as a guarantee, but as a virtue sustained through uncertainty. In this context, the artwork might underscore the fragile nature of optimism during times of upheaval, and the emotional labour required to sustain it.