Unidentified
19th century artist
“Divine
Knowledge”, c. 19th century (based on the style, the subject, the
fading of the alizarin crimson colour on the central figure’s red cloak, the
type of cardboard and the general patina of age of the painting). The painting
is unsigned and undated.
Watercolour
with pencil and gold leaf on light brown cardboard
Size: 17.4 x
17.2 cm
Inscribed on
the tablets held by the putti figures: “DIVINAR / RER"; "NOTI / TIA”.
Condition: good
condition (i.e. there are no significant stains, tears, abrasions, holes,
losses or foxing).
I am selling
this beautifully executed watercolour showing the symbolic figure of knowledge surrounded
on her left and right by putti figures uplifted in a heavenly realm for the
total cost of AU$189 (currently US$145.14/EUR131.73/GBP118.62 at the time of
this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.
If you are
interested in purchasing this exceptional study, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
This painting has been sold
I really like
this small watercolour and if I were asked why I like it so much, I guess that
there are two likely reasons.
The first is
simply because the drawing of the figures shows a high level of technical
training and insight that I love examining. For instance, note how the artist—sadly
unidentified—shows that the index finger of the central figure’s right hand is “in
front” of the other fingers of that hand with the tiniest change of angle at
the knuckle—amateur artists usually need instruction to employ such a subtle
device.
My second
reason is a personal interest in the expressed meaning of the central figure’s hand
gestures. Mindful that the text inscribed on the putti figures’ tablets informs
the viewer that knowledge is divine, the hand gestures of the central figure—symbolising
knowledge—are fascinating for me to contemplate. Although the figure’s left-hand
holding the book is clearly intended to draw attention to the idea of knowledge
crystallised in a book, it is more the gesture of the figure’s right-hand
pointing downwards that fascinates me. To me this gesture relates to Raphael’s
painting of the hands of Plato and Aristotle in “The School of Athens” where
Plato points downwards to the earth with the implicit suggestion that wisdom is
to be found in the temporal world, whereas Aristotle points to the heavens with
the implicit suggestion that wisdom is to be found beyond earthly pursuits. (My
apologies if my reading of the gestures is misguided, but, whether I am right or
wrong, I love pondering about such things.)
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