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A Dialogue on Human Favor (recto) [fol. 15 verso / 16 recto]

French early 16th Century

1513

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

A Dialogue on Human Favor (recto) [fol. 15 verso / 16 recto] is a 1513 ink by French early 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: French early 16th Century
When & what style?: 1513 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a group of people in old-fashioned clothes, each holding a sign with a Latin word like *Honor* or *Favor*. One person has wings and a wheel, another holds a book labeled *Legum Codex*. Kids and adults are mixed in, all standing close together. The background is plain, but the figures look like they’re in a conversation. The Latin words label different ideas—some good (*Fortuna*), some tricky (*Faltus*). The gold highlights catch the light, making the text and wings stand out. It’s like a visual debate about human nature. Next, check out Renaissance to see how artists used symbols like this.

About the artist

Artist

French early 16th Century

A French draftsman from the early 1500s filled sheets of laid paper with tiny, sharp-tongued instructions—ink sketches paired with warnings like “Do Not Eat Your Heart Out” or “Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws.”…

See the richer artist page