Rafael Sadeler I

“Wealth allows folly” states the title heading this engraving. In a rich interior, two figures are surrounded by servants, chests of coins, precious silver wares, and exotic animals. The man on the right, furnished with the ass ears of King Midas, is about to be crowned with a fool’s cap; the face of a jester is reflected in the mirror. Nearby, a swine-headed attendant is in charge of pouring expensive wine. This fantastical allegory is a moralizing condemnation of extravagance in an age of expanding empires and booming commerce.

Flemish Mannerist artist Joos van Winghe traveled to Italy and later settled in Frankfurt. He is mostly known for designs that were engraved by Flemish engravers including Raphael Sadeler, who was briefly in Frankfurt when this print was made.