Harrowing of Hell and the Seven Deadly Sins

Snellinck, Jan, after

Engraving on paper of the Harrowing of Hell surrounded by the Seven Deadly Sins, engraved by Hans Collaert (I) after Jan Snellinck (I) (c.1544/49-1638) and probably published by Eduard van Hoeswinckel (fl. 1570s-1583) in Antwerp between 1552 and 1580. It is from a series of prints of the same format. The other subjects include, the Eight Beatitudes, the Seven Acts of Mercy, and the Choice between Good and Evil. The central panel depicts souls tortured by demons within the mouth of the beast. The Latin text in the cartouche is from Romans 6 and Ezekiel 18. The surrounding scenes, each with accompanying Latin text, depict the Seven Deadly Sins, clockwise from top: greed/avarice (Matthew 6.24), envy (Wisdom 2.24), wrath (Matthew 5.22), sloth (Matthew 7.19), lust (1 Corinthians 6.18), gluttony (Luke 21.34), and pride/vanity (James 4.6). Avarice is represented by men counting coins, surrounded by bags of money and toad on the table; envy is shown with a woman eating an apple and Cain murdering Abel; wrath by a woman in armour; sloth by men in idleness or asleep; lust by fornication; gluttony by inebriation; and pride/vanity by a woman holding a mirror next to a peacock. Two reclining satyrs play horns in the upper spandrels.