Fable of the Cock and the Diamond, Aegidius Sadeler (II), after Marcus Gheeraerts (I), 1608
etching, h c.96mm × w c.112mm More details
While scratching for food a cock accidentally stumbles upon a large diamond in a dunghill. This beast fable has been recounted and illustrated in various ways since antiquity. The message is always the same: what use are diamonds if I am looking for food? This moralizing message teaches us that wealth alone is worth nothing.
