Proverbs Embodied

Five figures in a row, each depicting a proverb around the theme of dishonesty and opportunism versus honesty and modesty. On the right stands King David, articulating the moral of the proverbs. He advocates a life in which everything one possesses is acquired through honesty, rather than a life in which one enriches oneself dishonestly. Above the head of each figure a line in Latin, below each figure a two-line verse in Dutch. Far left a man with a cat on his shoulder licking him, next to him a man at a whetstone holding his cloak open. In the middle stands a man with a stick or axe over his shoulder and one in his hand, next to him a man hitting a sickle with a hammer. Far right stands King David with his harp. The meaning is that it is better to possess little through honesty than much through dishonesty. This is depicted by the figure in the middle.