Allegory of Faith

One of Vermeer's most unusual pictures, this large canvas was commissioned by a Catholic, possibly Jesuit, patron. His source derives from a standard handbook of iconography, Cesare Ripa's Iconologia. Vermeer interpreted Ripa's description of Faith with "the world at her feet" literally, showing a Dutch globe published in 1618. The divine world is rendered as a glass sphere reflecting the room. The painting of the Crucifixion on the wall copies a work by Jacob Jordaens. Among the many Christological symbols, the most prominent are the apple, emblem of the first sin, and the serpent (Satan) cru... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Jan Vermeer
Dokumenttyp: Image
Schlagwörter: Painting / 17th century / Dutch / genre / interior scenes / allegories
Sprache: unknown
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-29004228
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : http://digital.libraries.psu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/arthist2/id/157101

One of Vermeer's most unusual pictures, this large canvas was commissioned by a Catholic, possibly Jesuit, patron. His source derives from a standard handbook of iconography, Cesare Ripa's Iconologia. Vermeer interpreted Ripa's description of Faith with "the world at her feet" literally, showing a Dutch globe published in 1618. The divine world is rendered as a glass sphere reflecting the room. The painting of the Crucifixion on the wall copies a work by Jacob Jordaens. Among the many Christological symbols, the most prominent are the apple, emblem of the first sin, and the serpent (Satan) crushed by a stone (Christ, the "cornerstone" of the Church). Dating about 1670, the work strikes a balance between abstraction and haunting similitude. (http://www.metmuseum.org)