(Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
An engraving by the Dutch artist Pieter Nolpe (1613-1652), after a design by the French artist Abraham Bosse (1604-1676). The print shows a well-known parable of Jesus appearing in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19–31). The short story is about a very rich man who lived a life of extreme luxury. Outside the gate of this rich man’s house, however, was an extremely poor man named Lazarus who simply hoped “to eat what fell from the rich man’s table”. The rich man was indifferent to the plight of Lazarus, showing him no love, sympathy, or compassion whatsoever. Eventually, both died: the poor Lazarus went to heaven, and the rich man went to hell. In the afterlife, the rich man asked Abraham for mercy as he was in agony. Abraham refused and said that the rich man received good things during his lifetime, while Lazarus was in agony. Now Lazarus was comforted in heaven and the rich man was in agony. The piece shows the rich man in the centre enjoying his life with Lazarus in the back. As long as Lazarus was lying in front of his house, there was the chance of salvation for the rich man, but now that they are both dead, the situation has become irreparable. The three smaller prints on the left show the death of Lazarus and his ascension to heaven. On the right is the death of the rich man and he being punished in hell. The text at the top reads "Die Godts armen hier veracht, namaels syn vergelding wacht" (= He who ignores God's poor in life, will be punished in the afterlife"). engraving from 1623-1652.
