Moral Emblems: Wealth
Engraved by Etienne Delaune French
Designed by Jean Delaune French
Not on view
Engraving, part of a set of 20 moral emblems, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. The set was designed by Jean Delaune and engraved by his father, Étienne Delaune, in 1580. It explores the theme of vanity in mundane things, denouncing the artifices of the world (beauty, pleasure, luxury...), and praising virtue. This print represents a lavishly decorated room inside a palace, a king seating on a throne on the right, receiving a treasure chest from a group of soldiers, and two dogs fighting in front of them. The moral message of the print reproaches lust and the abuse of wealth. Among the soldiers, a female figure wearing a helmet an cuirasse, most likely representing Minerva, points her finger towards the sky, reminding the king that wealth could be an instrument of virtue, doing good to those who know how to use the goods it can buy.
