Who painted Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury?

Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury was painted by Hendrick Goltzius in 1592.

Where can I see Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury?

Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury?

Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury is associated with Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury?

Museum-quality prints of Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury

Hendrick Goltzius , 1592

Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hendrick Goltzius. It dates from 1592 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left, in image, in plate: 5; below image, in plate: Turgentem omento, pinguiq[ue] abdomine fartam, / Et spurco putore grauem, nidore petulcam / Haud leue propter opes onus aspernatur, et odit / Baiulus, vt luteo distentam sumine scropham. / Frugi Panperiem qu[a]e nullo omeratur omaso, / Nec gazis Cr[a]esi, nec Crassi dote grauatam / Tollit ouans humeris, non hanc Semeleia proles / Vino, non epulis Cerealis pressit Eleusis. (A porter refuses to carry a fat pig of a woman, bulging belly stuffed, heavy with a filthy stench, redolent with the odour of roasting, as she is a heavy burden because of her wealth and he hates her like a sow with a crammed pink pork chest. Thrifty poverty, burdened neither by a single haggis, nor Croesus' treatures, nor is heavy with Crassus' riches, he jubilantly takes upon his shoulders because Semele's child [Bacchus] has not made it heavy with wine, nor has Eleusis with Ceres' meals.); in letterpress, below plate: Die broodt-droncken weelde, swaerlyvich en vet, / Die kittelt altemet, soo haren dragher: / Dat hyse verwerpt, hem lydende veel bet, / Met armoede, want die is licht en magher. (This drunken glutton is a Load of grease, / Shee tickles me full sore, and kills mee clean, / Wherefore i'le throwe her downe and for my case, / Take up this other that is light, and lean.) [translations by Jan Bloemendal in _The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700_. (Karel van Mander, Marjolein Leesberg, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1999, no. 99, p. lxxvi.]

About this work

Overview

Hendrick Goltzius created 'Poverty is Easier to Bear Than Luxury' around 1592 as an engraving and letterpress on laid paper. The work exemplifies his skill as a printmaker.

Subject & Meaning

The engraving depicts a scene of hardship, with two men carrying a woman and a third man lying on the ground. The figures' facial expressions and body language convey struggle, while the background features a stone bridge and buildings.

Technique & Style

Goltzius achieved intricate details through cross-hatching, creating a mix of dark and light tones. The work showcases his refined technique, characteristic of the Northern Mannerism style.

Context

Goltzius was a leading Dutch engraver of the early Baroque period, known for inventing images for others to reproduce. His work often featured elaborate compositions.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Hendrick Goltzius

Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.