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 | |
|---|---|
| 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 Media related to Allegory of Vanity and Repentance (Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem) at Wikimedia Commons