De deugden overwinnen de ondeugden

A female figure representing Prayer sits in a pious stance, looking toward the Holy Spirit appearing as a dove in a radiant cloud. She tramples a bearded man wearing a monk's cowl who holds a rosary and a concealed dagger, labeled as 'FVCVS' (Deceit). Scattered on the ground are various symbols of false or performative piety, including a scourge, small banners, and a discarded hood.

This print belongs to the tradition of 'Psychomachia' (the battle of the soul), reflecting the Neo-Stoic and Counter-Reformation emphasis on inner sincerity over outward ritual. Produced within the influential Sadeler circle, it represents the moral and philosophical allegories favored by the intellectual elite in late 16th-century Europe, particularly in the court of Rudolf II.