Superbia (Pride)

16th century

Flemish, 1525-1569

Flemish?, 1510-1570

In 1558-60, Antwerp publisher Jerome Cock produced two series of engravings designed by Bruegel: "Vices" and "Virtues." This presentation of opposing moral standards came from a long tradition in medieval literature and art. In this work from the "Vices" series, Bruegel displays a baffling array of fantastical hybrid creatures, inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, to suggest that vanity and folly drag human beings down to the level of animals. Pride, an aristocratic woman wearing the latest high fashion, admires her reflection in a mirrror, oblivious to the degeneration around her.

Engraving

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

39.233

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "The Art of Protest" April 27, 2000 - January 21, 2001

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