ARTHIST 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Lisa Del Giocondo, Sfumato
23 May 2018
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Course
Professor
Name: Money Changer and his Wife
By: 1514
Year: Quentin Mestys
o objects in the background of the painting help us interpret the meaning of the art work
o Vanitas: objects are meant to symbolize the transients of life. That life is fleeting
Interpretation:
o figures, appear to be man and wife
o The man is weighing one coin against another - distracted by money, or he is practicing usury
o Woman is reading a book of hours but looks to see what her husband is doing - religious pursuits
o Viewed with social surrounding consider: Metsys lived in Antwerp capital of Southern
Netherlands in 16th century. It was an important place for trading, banking. Therefore, there
were many different types of currencies and professional money changers were needed so
traders could do their business. Therefore we can then interpret
o Could it be a Genre scene?
o Genre scene: a work that represents every day life
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