A Flemish Village with Ten Proverbs on Laziness
Medium
Engraving
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1996
Accession Number
1996.230
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 16th-century Flanders, engravers like Frans Huys and Pieter de J I captured everyday life with sharp wit and moral insight. *A Flemish Village with Ten on Laziness* (n.d.) is a delightful engraving from this Northern Renaissance tradition, blending intricate village scenes with satirical commentary. The print depicts a lively Flemish hamlet filled with houses, human figures at work (or not), and birds—likely symbolizing idleness—illustrating ten proverbs that poke fun at procrastination and sloth. Such proverb-laden works echoed the era's fascination with folly, much l...