Charity

Description

When this alabaster group entered the museum's collection, it was thought to depict the Virgin Mary, Christ, and Saint John the Baptist. It has been identified, however, as a personification of Charity, the most elevated of the three Christian theological virtues. The two other theological virtues are Faith and Hope. Within Christian belief, Charity is also known as a supernatural virtue, where the object of human conduct is the ultimate unification with God through love. Alluding to its eminent position, Charity sits enthroned, with powerful hybrid beasts supporting her chair. The diminutive footstool propping up her left foot may refer to the necessity of humility in one's relationship to God. Also, a child raises a vessel filled with fruits to another suggesting that selflessness and love are attributes of charitable actions.

Provenance

Michael Dreicer, 1868-1921 (New York, New York), upon his death, held in trust by the estate.; Estate of Michael Dreicer, by bequest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1921.; Metropolitan Museum of Art, returned to Baroness Rene de Kerchove, by 1933.; Baroness Rene de Kerchove (Mrs. Maisie Dreicer Whyte), widow of Michael Dreicer (New York, New York); , by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1951.

Charity

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c. 1550–1600

Accession Number

1951.541

Medium

alabaster

Dimensions

Overall: 29.9 x 14 x 14 cm (11 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Baroness R. de Kerchove