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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

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