Venetia, Lady Digby, Portrait of Venetia, Lady Digby, in the guise of Prudence. Lady Digby stands with her foot on a Cupid (personifying profane Love) while two-faced Deceit sits chained on the block on which Prudence sits. This symbolizes the triumph of Chastity and the rejection of sensual love. Three angels fly overhead crowning Lady Digby with a wreath of laurel. The presence of the snake and the doves allude to Matthew 10:16 "Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.", c.1633-1634

 Item — Box: 263
Identifier: spc-mss0088-s36-i0835

Staff Only
Venetia, Lady Digby, Portrait of Venetia, Lady Digby, in the guise of Prudence. Lady Digby stands with her foot on a Cupid (personifying profane Love) while two-faced Deceit sits chained on the block on which Prudence sits. This symbolizes the triumph of Chastity and the rejection of sensual love. Three angels fly overhead crowning Lady Digby with a wreath of laurel. The presence of the snake and the doves allude to Matthew 10:16 "Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

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Scope and Contents

Vanderbilt photo identifier: SC.MSS.088.FLEM.0804; Public Notes: This painting is a variant of Van Dyck's original much larger painting of Lady Digby (soprintendenza per i Beni Ambientali e Architettonici, Palazzo Reale, Milan).

Dates

  • Creation: c.1633-1634

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Special Collections in the Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Collections should be requested 2-3 days prior to visiting in order to facilitate easier access. For questions or to request a collection, contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu.

Biographical / Historical

Subjects: Prudence; Pearls; Portraits; Landscape; Cupids; Angels; Laurel Wreaths; Doves; Serpents; Jewelry; School: Flemish; Style period: Baroque; Technique: painting (technique); Work type: paintings

Full Extent

1 Items : Image Work Type: photographic print ; Image height (in.): 8.1; Image width (in.): 6.2in.

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

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