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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileafter Hendrick Goltzius
In this moralizing scene, two men in contemporary Dutch attire prematurely smash a savings jar on a wooden chest. A bearded old man dressed in tatters leans on a staff beside them, personifying the poverty that awaits those who squander their wealth in youth. The background features a gnarled tree and a simple thatched cottage, underscoring the contrast between worldly vanity and humble survival.
This work exemplifies the moral-didactic print culture of the Haarlem Mannerists, emphasizing the virtue of Prudence through a visual proverb. It reflects Neostoic concerns regarding the passage of time and personal responsibility, common themes in the intellectual circle of Goltzius and Van Mander.
C. Manderus Inue. Dum lutulenta etas, atq[ue] inconsulta Juuentus Feruet adhuc, stultè sua qui profundit, opesq[ue] Deglubit patrię vesanus ganeo testę, Hic petat Anticyras, venatui et pocula potet Exhaustis loculis Veniet gemebunda, tremensq[ue] Decrepita, et canens, macieq[ue] effeta Senectus, Heu sibi tunc lapsos quoties iterarier annos Optabit, doctusq[ue] malis meliora docebit . F. Estius Den spaer-pot te vroech ghemaeckt tot scherven, Doet menich door derven, te late sparen: Den ouden man moet in armoede swerven, Die niet was bedacht, in de jonghe laren.
Translation
C. Manderus inv. While the muddy age, and ill-advised Youth Still rages, he who foolishly squanders his own, and The mad glutton who skins his father’s estate, Let him seek the Anticyrae, and drink his cups at a feast, With emptied purses will come groaning and trembling Decrepit, white-haired, and withered with leanness, Old Age, Alas, how often then will he wish that his lapsed years Be repeated, and, taught by evils, will teach better things. F. Estius The money-pot made into shards too soon, Causes many to suffer through saving too late: The old man must wander in poverty, Who was not provided for, in his young years.
Karel van Mander
Van Mander provided the original design (inventor) for this engraving by Goltzius.
Franco Estius
The Latin moralizing verses at the bottom were composed by this humanist poet who frequently collaborated with Goltzius.
Object
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Engraving
allegory
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
National Gallery Of Art
Public domain
1949 × 3000 px
b3b6943da029933958d774877a323f034f3bc2ca
December 12, 2014
March 23, 2026
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.