Stultitiam patiuntur opes (Wealth permits Stupidity), or, Allegory of Wealth, Lust, and Stupidity
1588
Engraving
SEE IT IN PERSON
Not currently on view
In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG
In this pointed visual allegory, a king who personifies wealth counts his money at a table while a jester places a fool’s hat over his head. His female counterpart, distracted by her aged reflection in a mirror, displays her vanity in her luxurious clothing, lap dog, and hangers-on: flattery fans her, and stupidity, with a boar’s head, serves her food and drink. Such allegories were meant to both entertain while cautioning the viewer to question their own relationship to wealth.
Be the first to share your thoughts.
Sign in to join the discussion.
More like this
Raphael Sadeler, I — Allegory of Lust, Wealth and Stupidity
Joos van Winghe — Allegory of Wealth, Lust and Stupidity
Annibale Carracci|Anonymous — Saint Roch at right distributi
Crispijn van de Passe, I — Discordia
Christoffel Jegher|Peter Paul Rubens — The Garden of Love (r
Annibale Carracci|François Langlois|Anonymous|Francesco Briz
Jacques de Gheyn II|Karel van Mander I|Joos de Bosscher — Al
Boetius Adams Bolswert|Peter Paul Rubens — The Judgment of S
Christoffel Jegher|Peter Paul Rubens — The Garden of Love (l
Rembrandt van Rijn — Christ Driving the Money Changers from 
Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669) — Christ Driving the M
Jan Sadeler, I — David Playing the Harp