Lot number 4072 - Auction 137
HÖCHST SELTENE DARSTELLUNG DER VERNÜNFTIGEN UND DER GESEGNETEN SEELE

ROMAN-FLORENTINE SCHOOL OF THE 17TH CENTURY EXTREMELY RARE DEPICTION OF THE RATIONAL AND THE BLESSED SOUL Oil on canvas. 97 x 137 cm (F. 120 x 155 cm). Part. slightly old rest., min. old retouching. Frame. The significance of this enigmatic painting can perhaps be traced back to two allegorical figures described by Cesare Ripa in his Iconologia: the rational and blessed soul and the desire for God. The first is a winged woman with a star on her head (albeit with a veiled face), the second is a male figure, also winged, with his hand on his chest and with a stag as an attribute. The second angelic figure appears to be inviting the woman to the left, where a spring or fountain of water can be seen: the overall meaning of the work could therefore be that of the soul seeking to quench its thirst in God's word and grace, a meaning also invoked by Ripa. Provenance: International collection.