Fabel van de zieke gier

A vulture lies on its back in a nest of twigs and dry grass, its legs curled upward in a state of distress. From a gnarled tree branch above, another bird looks down at the dying creature. The scene illustrates the moment where the vulture's mother explains that the gods will not hear his prayers due to his past cruelty.

Engraved by Aegidius Sadeler while serving as the imperial artist for Rudolf II in Prague, this print belongs to the 'Theatrum Morum' series. It represents the late Renaissance fascination with animal allegories as a means of understanding moral law within the natural world, a key interest of the Rudolfine court's intellectual circle.