Allegory of Vanity and Repentance
Allegory of Vanity and Repentance is a 1616 oil painting by the Dutch artist Cornelis van Haarlem. It is now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Strasbourg, France. Its inventory number is 1969. The painting's lesser known and lesser used title is Human Love and Divine Love; it was also known in the past as Pagan Life and Christian Life. Although the Dutch Republic was mostly Protestant in 1616, van Haarlem's painting was made for a Catholic patron.[2][1]
Allegory of Vanity and Repentance | |
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Human Love and Divine Love, Pagan Life and Christian Life | |
Artist | Cornelis van Haarlem |
Year | 1616 |
Medium | oil painting on panel |
Movement | Northern Mannerism Dutch Golden Age painting Catholic art |
Subject | Allegory of Vanitas |
Dimensions | 100 cm × 125 cm (39 in × 49 in)[1] |
Location | Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg |
Accession | 1942 |
The foreground of the painting depicts a couple: a woman with a mirror and bare breasts, who personfies Vanitas; and a musician looking at the viewer, who personifies fleeting pleasure, as in the sounds of his instrument. On a table in front of them lay a crown, golden coins, and other precious wordly objects, such as a hanap. A bearded monk looking through the window attracts the viewer's attention by pointing towards Jesus praying in the Garden; his outstretched right hand towards the couple signifies that they may join him through repentance and be saved.[1][2]
References
- Mandrella, David (February 2009). Collection du musée des Beaux-Arts – Peinture flamande et hollandaise XVème-XVIIIème siècle. Strasbourg: Musées de la ville de Strasbourg. pp. 184–185. ISBN 978-2-35125-030-3.
- "Allégorie sur la vanité et le repentir ; L'amour humain et l'amour divin (autre titre)". French Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
External links
- Media related to Allegory of Vanity and Repentance (Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem) at Wikimedia Commons