Kampf der Gänse gegen die Füchse [Battle of the geese against the fox], 1544 from Flugblatter der Reformation und des Bauernfrieges

1975

Private Collection

Leipzig: Insel-Verlag Anton Kippenberg

The subject of injustices within society and criticism of tyrants always provides good copy for artists. The essence of this flugblatt, printed in 1544, is of turning the tables. In the background, foxes have captured the geese. In the foreground, the geese are exacting revenge: hanging foxes from trees; leading another to ‘slaughter’; and at lower right, the geese seem to be feeding off a dead fox. The text above reads (roughly): ‘Those who like to tell lies, have a sweet tooth, steal, are always idle or lecherous, will in the end face the retaliation of the master.’ The unknown artist Monogrammist GP is not Giovanni Pietro Possenti, an Italian printmaker, who lived from 1618 to 1659. The identity of this MGP remains a mystery.