Geloof (Faith) - Zacharias Dolendo

A fine Dutch engraving from the late sixteenth century depicting the allegorical figure of Faith, designed by Jacques de Gheyn II.

This engraving, titled Geloof (Faith), is a characteristic example of the Northern Mannerist style prevalent in the late sixteenth century. Zacharias Dolendo, a Dutch engraver, produced this work after a design by Jacques de Gheyn II. The composition features a central female figure representing the virtue of Faith, her gaze directed upwards towards a celestial light source. She stands in a contrapposto pose, draped in flowing garments that reveal the influence of the Italian Renaissance on Northern European artists of the period.

At her feet, the artist includes various symbolic objects. A serpent and a mirror are positioned beneath her, while coins and a small lamp lie nearby, suggesting a rejection of worldly wealth in favour of spiritual devotion. In the background, a distant town and a small group of figures dancing in a circle provide a sense of scale and narrative depth. The engraving technique demonstrates the precision typical of the period, with fine hatching used to model the form of the figure and the texture of the drapery.

Dolendo was active in Leiden and worked within a circle of artists who frequently collaborated on print series. This particular work belongs to a series depicting the virtues, a common theme in European art during this era. The Latin inscription at the base, 'Pauperies animum miseri mortalibus aevi Submittit, ac Sternit Deo', translates to the idea that poverty humbles the spirit of miserable mortals and lays them before God. The print reflects the intellectual and religious climate of the Dutch Republic, where allegorical imagery was used to communicate moral lessons to a literate audience. The work remains a clear example of the technical skill and iconographic complexity found in late sixteenth-century Dutch printmaking.