Anger (Ira) from The Seven Deadly Sins
Original title: Anger (Ira) from The Seven Deadly Sins
kurzbeschreibung
An upturned bucket serves as the garb of a female allegory in Pieter van der Heyden's 1558 engraving Wrath (Ira) from the Seven Deadly Sins series. Around her, people fight one another, and ruined buildings show where the sin leads.
Description
A female figure is stuck inside a large bucket turned upside down and holds a jug; her posture and the people gathered around her embody strife and violence. Dilapidated houses and a crumbling castle appear in the distance, pointing to the devastating force of wrath. The image is densely populated: people lie on the ground, others wrestle with each other or with animals, creating a chaotic, agitated impression. The print remains monochrome; shading comes from varying line thickness and direction.
Context
A design by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who conceived the entire series of the Seven Deadly Sins, served as the model for this 1558 engraving. The series was published in Antwerp; it belongs to a widespread tradition of moralizing printmaking in the sixteenth century. Such allegories were intended to make Christian teachings on virtue and vice vivid. Van der Heyden was known for translating Bruegel's compositions into engraving.
Impact
The tight stacking of figures and the drastic scenes produce an oppressive restlessness that makes the theme of wrath directly palpable. Clear lines and the wealth of detail demand close looking and underscore the print's moral message.
Technique
In this engraving, lines are cut into a metal plate, the plate is inked, and the result is pulled on paper. Fine hatching and cross-hatching allow graded tones and precise rendering of figures and background. The plate measures 22.4 x 29.4 cm; printing was done on a larger sheet of 26.1 x 33.6 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)