Tousiours ou jamais

This print consists of two oval medallions: on the left, a detailed portrait of a young man with a trimmed beard and a pleated ruff collar; on the right, an emblem of a sow seated on a block of stone while wearing a wooden yoke. The right medallion features mirrored text and floral decorations, suggesting the design was intended for a seal or a specific printing process. The figure's steady gaze and the moralizing animal imagery reflect the artist's construction of his professional and philosophical identity.

This work captures the personal 'imprese' or emblem of Hendrick Goltzius, a central figure in the Haarlem Mannerist circle. The motto 'Tousiours ou jamais' (Always or Never) and the emblem of the sow under a yoke—referencing the idea that 'without concord nothing can last long'—align with Neostoic values of self-restraint and internal harmony prevalent in late 16th-century Dutch intellectual life.