Kennis van God brengt liefdadigheid voort - Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert

A detailed 16th-century engraving by Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert, depicting an allegory of Charity inspired by the designs of Maarten van Heemskerck.

This engraving, titled Kennis van God brengt liefdadigheid voort, is a work by the Dutch humanist and engraver Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert. The composition is based on a design by Maarten van Heemskerck, as indicated by the inscription 'Heemskerck inventor' in the lower left corner. The print functions as a complex allegory, typical of the intellectual climate of the sixteenth-century Netherlands, where classical motifs and Christian theology often merged.

The central figure is a female personification of Charity, depicted in a classical, idealized form. She is shown seated upon an eagle, a creature often associated with divine vision or the heavens. In one hand, she holds a flaming heart, a traditional symbol of burning love and devotion. Her other hand is raised towards a radiant orb, which bears Hebrew characters representing the name of God. This arrangement illustrates the philosophical premise that true charity originates from the knowledge and love of the divine.

Coornhert employs a precise engraving technique, using varied hatching and cross-hatching to define the musculature of the figure and the texture of the eagle's plumage. The lines are controlled and deliberate, characteristic of the professional printmaking standards of the period. The background remains largely atmospheric, allowing the focus to stay on the allegorical interaction between the human figure and the divine symbol. The Latin inscription at the base, 'Charitas hinc Virtutesque divinae promantat', translates to 'From here, Charity and divine virtues flow forth', further clarifying the moral message intended for the viewer. This work serves as a clear example of how print culture in the Northern Renaissance disseminated complex philosophical ideas to a wider audience, combining technical skill with humanist learning.