Lot Essay
As J.W. Niemeijer relates in 'De ateliernalatenschap van het Rotterdamse schildersgeslacht Van Nijmegen', Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum, XVII (june 1969), pp.59-111, Elias van Nijmegen was born in Nijmegen and left his native town in 1689 to settle five years later in Rotterdam where he ran a successfull studio for painted wall and ceiling decorations. Because decorative painting was in the early 18th century predominantly allegorical, he became adept as a painter of histories and allegories.
The present work is a complex allegory of Christianity, derived from Ripa's Iconologia of 1599, translated into Dutch by Dirk Pietersz. Pers in 1644. Ripa/Pers, p.147, gives several recommendations for allegories or personifications of Christian Religion. A coloured drawing in pen and ink, part of the estate of the van Nijmegen family in the Prentenkabinet of the Rijksmuseum, shows the artist's first depiction of the subject. Following Ripa/Pers (p.173A) prescriptions, Religion is seated holding keys and an open book in her left and the rod of Aaron in her right hand. At her left is a putto with the Tables of the Law. A putto holding the Gospels, as recommended by Ripa/Pers, is omitted.
In the picture the attributes of white and blue dressed Religion have been altered into a key and burning heart. This is based on another prescription of Ripa/Pers (p.147). The key is familiar as the means to reveal Heaven, and the flaming heart is explained as "de verlichtingh des gemoeds heerkomende uyt het Gelove" (the Illumination of the soul through the power of Faith). Ripa proposed that the personification's foot rest on a cornerstone, which is also followed by van Nijmegen.
Van Nijmegen has extended his allegory of Christian Religion to the theme of the Old and the New Law. The old is symbolized by the Tables of the Law held by veiled putto at the left of Religion. The veil probably indicates that the world of the Old Testament was deprived of the Divine Light. At the putto's foot a scroll and the censer of high priest refer to the form of Jewish worship. The pre-Christian era is further represented by the sacrifice enacted in the left background.
In contrast to the left side of the picture the right depicting the New Law towards whom Religion turns her head is well lit. The putto presents an open book depicting symbols apparently of the artist's invention. The beams of the sun perhaps signify the Light of Divine Justice; the dove with the olive brach is the traditional symbol of the Covenant of God with His People, and revealed to Noah as a sign of peace after the Deluge. The martially dressed putto behind the open book holding a shield decorated with the Cross is not an invention of Ripa; it is perhaps a reference to the conquest of the world by Christianity. The young woman behind the putti is to be identified as Saint Agnes, one of the earliest Christian martyrs, who has a sheep as her attribute. The lily, however, is not notably connected to her. She is present as a personification of Purity.
The present work is a complex allegory of Christianity, derived from Ripa's Iconologia of 1599, translated into Dutch by Dirk Pietersz. Pers in 1644. Ripa/Pers, p.147, gives several recommendations for allegories or personifications of Christian Religion. A coloured drawing in pen and ink, part of the estate of the van Nijmegen family in the Prentenkabinet of the Rijksmuseum, shows the artist's first depiction of the subject. Following Ripa/Pers (p.173A) prescriptions, Religion is seated holding keys and an open book in her left and the rod of Aaron in her right hand. At her left is a putto with the Tables of the Law. A putto holding the Gospels, as recommended by Ripa/Pers, is omitted.
In the picture the attributes of white and blue dressed Religion have been altered into a key and burning heart. This is based on another prescription of Ripa/Pers (p.147). The key is familiar as the means to reveal Heaven, and the flaming heart is explained as "de verlichtingh des gemoeds heerkomende uyt het Gelove" (the Illumination of the soul through the power of Faith). Ripa proposed that the personification's foot rest on a cornerstone, which is also followed by van Nijmegen.
Van Nijmegen has extended his allegory of Christian Religion to the theme of the Old and the New Law. The old is symbolized by the Tables of the Law held by veiled putto at the left of Religion. The veil probably indicates that the world of the Old Testament was deprived of the Divine Light. At the putto's foot a scroll and the censer of high priest refer to the form of Jewish worship. The pre-Christian era is further represented by the sacrifice enacted in the left background.
In contrast to the left side of the picture the right depicting the New Law towards whom Religion turns her head is well lit. The putto presents an open book depicting symbols apparently of the artist's invention. The beams of the sun perhaps signify the Light of Divine Justice; the dove with the olive brach is the traditional symbol of the Covenant of God with His People, and revealed to Noah as a sign of peace after the Deluge. The martially dressed putto behind the open book holding a shield decorated with the Cross is not an invention of Ripa; it is perhaps a reference to the conquest of the world by Christianity. The young woman behind the putti is to be identified as Saint Agnes, one of the earliest Christian martyrs, who has a sheep as her attribute. The lily, however, is not notably connected to her. She is present as a personification of Purity.