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Woman with a male monster holding a jug and cup
Engraving, 14.5 x 20 cm, anonymous, c. 1604-c. 1616
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
 

In the manner of Arent van Bolten, a satirical scene of human folly, gluttony, and lust depicted through bizarre, distorted figures. A beast blows a horn In protruding from its face as it perches on an architectural flourish, while a devilish imp deliberately passes wind towards a corrupt grotesque man and a provocative woman, mocking their base desires. The entire composition, filled with topsy-turvy forms and crude humour, delights in turning social and moral order on its head. Van Bolten’s works followed the Northern European grotesque tradition of the late Renaissance and Baroque, blending elaborate decoration with moral or satirical messages.