An Allegory of Fortune with Two River Gods

1624
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 690
River gods flank a view out onto the open sea, where dolphins frolic amid the waves and, at center, a personification of Fortune glides atop a winged orb with a billowing sail in her hands. The milk spouting from the figure’s breasts reflects the idea that abundance and prosperity are subject to the shifting winds and tides of life. This association would have resonated with the many seventeenth-century viewers whose lives and livelihoods depended on maritime trade and investments.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: An Allegory of Fortune with Two River Gods
  • Artist: Hans Jakob Ebelmann (German, Speyer ca. 1570–ca. 1625 Speyer)
  • Date: 1624
  • Medium: Pen and black ink and gray and blue wash over black chalk
  • Dimensions: sheet: 4 1/16 x 11 7/16 in. (10.3 x 29 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2005
  • Object Number: 2005.2
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.