False Belief Leads the World to Hell

A woman representing False Opinion steers a globe on a wheelbarrow toward a flaming pit on the left. In the foreground, the semi-nude figure of Truth lies bound and helpless, while in the sky, an angelic figure of Justice holding a sword and scales flies away from the scene. The rocky landscape features a distant city, symbolizing the social ruin that follows when delusion replaces objective truth.

This allegory reflects the Neo-Stoic and humanist philosophy of Goltzius's mentor, Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert, who argued that 'Opinio' (subjective, false belief) was the primary source of human suffering and sin. It illustrates the moral crisis of the late 16th century, emphasizing that the abandonment of Truth and Justice leads inevitably to spiritual and societal destruction.