Triumph of Truth

A street in a city. People stand or kneel before the female apparition of Truth, who floats above their heads. She holds a palm branch in her right hand and a book in her left. A choir of angels kneels around her. In the center of the print lie a cup with grapes (wine), a royal crown (the monarchy), a skull (death and original sin), and a mirror (vanity) on the ground. The print depicts a scene from the apocryphal book of Esdras (chapters 3 and 4). Three servants of King Darius of Persia argue whether wine, the king, or woman is the strongest in the world. Zerubbabel, the last servant (probably the man to the right of the center in the print), wins the debate with the answer that women are the strongest in the world, but that truth conquers all. As a reward, Zerubbabel may begin the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem. The print has a Latin inscription with a quote from the apocryphal book of Esdras (3-4).