by Artist (363)
Charity (Caritas)
From The Seven Virtues (Antwerp: Hieronymous Cock, c.1559-60)1559
16th century
Pieter Bruegel the elder (aka Bruegel, Pieter, I)
Breda, Netherlands c. 1525–1569 Breda, NetherlandsPhilips Galle Haarlem, Netherlands 1537–1612 Haarlem, Netherlands
Classification:
Print
Medium/Technique:
Engraving
Credit Line:
Bequest of the Reverend John J. Kelley
Accession Number:
1966.1.68
Not on display - Available to view by appointment
Artist
Engraved by Philips Galle after Pieter Brueghel
Commentary
Charity (Charitas) Expect that what is befalling others will befall you; you will be aroused to render aid
only if you make your own the feelings of the man who cries for help in the midst of adversity.
The young woman who personifies Charity holds a flaming (ardent) heart and attends to two young children. Atop her head is the so-called “Pius Pelican,” a bird once believed to feed her starving young with her own blood (therefore a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice). In the village surrounding Hope can be seen the Seven Acts of Corporal Mercy: feeding the hungry; giving drink to the thirsty; clothing the naked; visiting prisoners; tending the sick; giving hospitality to the homeless; and burying the dead.
Additional Images
Click an image to view a larger version
Cropped
This object was included in the following exhibitions:
- Early Prints from the Rev. John J. Kelley Collection Saint Joseph College Art Gallery , 5/2/1991 - 10/31/1991
- Life Lessons: Sixteenth Century Allegorical Prints from the Low Countries , 3/26/2010 - 6/6/2010
- Selections from the Reverend John J. Kelley Bequest Art Museum, University of Saint Joseph , 3/29/2019 - 6/9/2019
- Plate Dimensions: 22.5 x 29.5 cm (8 7/8 x 11 5/8 in.)
- Paper Dimensions: 23.9 x 31 cm (9 7/16 x 12 3/16 in.)
- Mount Dimensions: 27 x 32 cm (10 5/8 x 12 5/8 in.)
Portfolio List
Click a portfolio name to view all the objects in that portfolio
This object is a member of the following portfolios:
