The Seven Works of Charity

Theodor de Bry and his family produced numerous intricate ornamental designs. Many appeared in roundel formats, which required the viewer to turn the print around to read the entire image and its text. Here de Bry surrounded the central figure of Charity with the seven corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, ministering to the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead.