Moral Emblems: Babylon the Great

Engraving, part of a set of 20 moral emblems, each designated by a letter of the alphabet. The set was designed by Jean Delaune and engraved by his father, Étienne Delaune, in 1580. It explores the theme of vanity in mundane things, denouncing the artifices of the world (beauty, pleasure, luxury...), and praising virtue. This print represents the Whore of Babylon, riding a beast with seven heads, and raising her canister of pleasures with the right hand. The beast is heading towards a brazier, representing hell, attracted by a demon, on the lower right corner of the scene. In the background, a woman armed with a bow shoots an arrow towards the sty, in which is a blowing wing. On the lower left corner, are stormy waters. The bow and arrows, according to a medieval tradition, symbolize the attributes of death. In this case, they might also represent the irresistible powers of sensuality and the mondane pleasures that send humans to an abyss faster than shooting an arrow.