De drie theologische deugden 1825 - 1883

Editor: Here we have "The Three Theological Virtues" by Theodoor Schaepkens, sometime between 1825 and 1883. It’s a pencil drawing on toned paper, and something about the wispy lines and aged quality gives it such a dreamlike mood. I’m really curious about the story behind it. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a pretty drawing? Curator: Ah, yes, a delightful sketch indeed! It whispers of a time when artists weren’t afraid to mix earthly beauty with heavenly ideas. I see a beautiful floating figure with perhaps an angel helping her along. For me it's a snapshot of an artist wrestling with big ideas – faith, hope, and charity. What's she drifting away from? A crown and snake resting below. Those little symbolic details make the piece for me, I think. Don't you agree? Editor: Absolutely, the symbolism is powerful! The crown and snake left below--I didn’t even really notice that until you mentioned it--suggesting that faith rises above worldly power and evil? Curator: Precisely! It’s almost like a little morality play unfolding before our eyes. And look at the almost hesitant lines. To me, it evokes the artist's own personal journey grappling with those very concepts. Isn’t it marvelous how a simple pencil sketch can contain so much? I'm really interested in how the artist explores Romantic themes here, what do you make of that? Editor: It’s incredible! It reminds me how much I still have to learn. Thanks for that fresh perspective! I will start reading up about this artist more now and his influences. Curator: It works in interesting ways with other Romantic works that seem obsessed with death and the sublime, and here Schaepkens finds transcendence of this world. Thanks for the conversation, this was so interesting and I am inspired to return and study more works like it!