attributed to workshop of Hendrick Goltzius: Everyone thinks his owl is a falcon (1590-1594)

(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

An engraving from the studio of the Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617). The subject of this picture is an old Dutch proverb "Everyone thinks his owl is a falcon". This proverb means that everyone thinks he himself thinks to have or is the best.  The two fools are added to show the viewer that the man is doing something foolish, further enhanced by the thick glasses which the man is wearing. The Latin text at the bottom is from Franco Estius and gives an explanation of the picture. Engraving from 1590-1594.