Man has to learn everything, plate #2 from "The Misery of Human Life", 1563
Etchingexpand_more
Gift of James A. Bergquist, Boston, in honor of Rachel McGarryexpand_more 2021.69.19.2
Not on Viewexpand_more
In the foreground, a woman spoonfeeds an infant, and another woman teaches a child to walk. Note that someone has tried to censor its bare bottom with a smudge of paint.Another child toddles along in a walking frame, while two others follow along whining. The backgound is filled with animals.
This is the second 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.
Here the message is that animals naturally walk; fish swim--without drowning; and, birds fly with the aid of their wings. But we humans are unable to walk and have to rely on others for food. We come into the world with nothing in our memories except for the ability to cry.
Details
- Title
- Man has to learn everything, plate #2 from "The Misery of Human Life"
- Artist Life
- 1537 - 1612
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2021.69.19.2
- Catalogue Raisonne
- The Illustrated Bartsch, vol. LVI .072:2 New Hollstein, Philips Galle, Part II.288 I/II
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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