Tabula Cebetis
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
Woodcut printed from three blocks depicting the Tabula Cebetis. This allegory on the human life path is based on an ancient dialogue attributed to the Greek philosopher Cebes of Thebes, a disciple of Socrates. The text is an ekphrasis describing a mural painting in which the human life path is depicted as a choice between good and bad influences. In the lower left and right corners are depicted the philosophers Cebes and Socrates. In the middle, an old man (Genio) leads people (i.e., men) through the gate of life and points them the way to Happiness and Virtue. A female personification of Deceit (Fraude) tempts the men who have just entered to drink from a bowl filled with Error (Errore) and Ignorance (Ignoranza), after which they choose the wrong path. To the left this leads to False Opinion (Opinio) and various False Doctrines (Tradimenti; Falsi Sacramenti).
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print