Temperantia, De Matigheid. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53008506

The personified figure of Temperance stands in a dynamic, twisting pose against a distant landscape containing a bridge and a city. She carefully pours a thin stream of water into a cup, a traditional gesture representing the moderation of passion and appetite. Her clothing is rendered with voluminous, swirling lines characteristic of the artist's intricate engraving style.

Temperance is one of the four cardinal virtues derived from Plato's Republic and later synthesized into Christian and Neoplatonic thought. In the Western esoteric tradition, these virtues were viewed as essential inner requirements for the 'Great Work,' representing the mastery of reason over the elemental humors and physical desires.