Concordia - Hans Collaert the Elder

A classical allegorical engraving by Hans Collaert the Elder, depicting the personification of harmony within an architectural setting.

Concordia is an engraving by the Flemish artist Hans Collaert the Elder. The work depicts the personification of harmony, Concordia, standing within an architectural niche. She is shown in profile, looking upward toward a bird perched upon her raised hand. Her posture is classical, with drapery that suggests movement and volume through the use of precise, hatched lines typical of sixteenth-century printmaking techniques.

The figure is rendered with a focus on anatomical clarity and balanced proportions. The architectural setting provides a sense of depth, framing the subject against a dark, recessed background. The inscription at the base, CO-NCORDIA, identifies the allegorical subject, while the artist's monogram appears in the lower right corner. This print belongs to a series of allegorical figures, a common format for printmakers of the period who sought to disseminate classical themes and moral concepts to a wider audience.

Collaert was a member of a prominent family of engravers based in Antwerp. His work reflects the technical rigour of the Flemish school, where the control of the burin allowed for fine gradations of tone and texture. The composition relies on the interplay between the solid form of the figure and the surrounding structure. The bird, often associated with peace or concord in classical iconography, serves as the primary attribute for the figure. This print is a representative example of the period's interest in humanistic allegory, where abstract virtues were given physical form through the study of classical sculpture and contemporary print culture. The clean lines and disciplined shading demonstrate the technical proficiency expected of a master engraver in the late Renaissance.