The battle of the money bags and the strong boxes

Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder established an important working relationship with the engraver Pieter van der Heyden, with the latter converting Bruegel’s drawings into engravings, which could then be widely distributed and appreciated. Bruegel’s imagery often contained a moralistic message and in this engraving the message continues to have relevance today. The battle of the money bags and the strong boxes illustrates the consequences of greed and the pursuit of wealth, as humanoid money boxes and treasure chests are embroiled in a chaotic, and somewhat comical, battle.

The text below the image, inscribed in Latin, French and Dutch, translates as ‘Riches make thieves, gold and silver have destroyed many’.(1) The Dutch text in the margin translates as:

Forward, you piggy banks, barrels and chests. It’s all for money and goods, this fighting and quarrelling. Even if they tell you something different, don’t believe it. That is why we carry that hook, which has never forsaken us, on our banners. They are taking action to quiet us down, but there would be no battle if there were nothing to steal. (2)

Julie Robinson, Senior Curator Prints, Drawings and Photographs

(1) Translation from Nadine M. Orenstein (ed.), Pieter Bruegel the Elder: drawings and prints, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2001, p. 254.

(2) Translation from Orenstein (ed.), p. 253.