Minneapolis Institute of Art

Man is burdened with pains and diseases, plate #3 from The Misery of Human Life

Philips Galle; after Maarten van Heemskerck

Date

1563

Medium

Etching

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This procession smaples the dangers and diseases that can complicate life. A boy who carries a book and a pointer leads the way. He is probably mute and points out words to communicate.The first man seems to have an ache in his teeth or ear, but this could also be from the itching of scabies. The next carries a clapper, a noisemake to warn other that he has leprosy. Then comes a man with no left foot, who walks with the aid of crutches and a wooden leg. The next man is jowly but not jolly; he holds his stomach and walks with a cane--he suffers from edema. The final man is blind and has a guide dog and a stick to help him navigate. This is the third print in a series of six that studies the misery of human life. The images were designed by Maarten van Heemskerck and engraved by Philips Galle. Each is accompanied by Latin verses by the learned Dutch polymath Hadrianus Junius (1511-1575), with further verses in French and Dutch below. Flanders, Europe

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.