Art Institute of Chicago

Allegory on the Good and the Corrupt Tree

Gillis van Breen (Dutch, active 1588-1622)LinkedCulture matchlcp-fcca1e2431a3

Date: c. 1600
Medium: Engraving in black on cream laid paper
Culture: Netherlands
Department: Prints and Drawings
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID: 271908

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

The contrasting couples in this composition are meant to demonstrate virtuous and sinful love. On the right, a couple in luxurious fabrics embraces, sitting next to a tree rooted in a blackened heart and skull and with monstrous creatures on its thorny branches. To the left stand a man and woman clothed in light robes and holding hands beside a flowering tree, which sprouts from a white heart above the word “Christ.” The inscription reinforces the idea that spiritual love leads to salvation, whereas earthly desire leads to damnation. This print was engraved by Dutch artist Gillis van Breen after a design by Karel van Mander, another artist who belonged to the same social circle.

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