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Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
(Baroque Europe )
In this parable from the Gospel of Matthew, the devil, identified by his horns and tail, sows weeds (or tares) in the field where wheat has been planted, while the lazy peasants are sleeping. Christians considered sloth one of the Seven Deadly Sins to which mankind was subject as a result of the Original Sin of Adam and Eve, to whom the two naked sleepers allude. The dovecote (a birdhouse to attract doves or pigeons that can be trapped for food without the bother of raising them) was associated with the morally lazy who take the easy way. The goat, known for its lust, alludes to self-indulgence, and the peacock, to pride.
Bloemaert was gifted in depicting natural detail, but he never painted pure landscapes, preferring pictures with a lesson. He was one of the leading artists of Utrecht and trained many major artists of the next generation.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Justice James A. Murnaghan Collection, Dublin, by 1929; Walters Art Museum, 1973, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 1998-2001 | Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 2000 | The Glory of the Golden Age. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Amsterdam. |
| 1997-1998 | Masters of Light: Dutch Painters in Utrecht During the Golden Age. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco; The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore; The National Gallery, London. |
| 1987-1988 | Masters of Seventeenth Century Dutch Landscape Painting. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Amsterdam; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 4/9/1984 | Treatment | other |
| 8/13/1998 | Treatment | other |
Geographies
Netherlands, Utrecht (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 39 1/2 x W: 52 3/16 in. (100.4 x 132.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the Dr. Francis D. Murnaghan Fund, 1973
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.2505