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Original fileFaith and Love as a Steadfast Pledge
Wanneer 't geloof met de liefde is eens gepaard Zo is 't een vasten borg die nimmer is vervaard (titel op object)
after Hendrick Goltzius
About This Work
On the left, Faith holds a crucifix and an open book, symbolizing religious conviction and scripture. To the right, Charity is shown as a mother nursing and embracing several children, representing divine and fraternal love. The print features Dutch verses at the top and was published in Amsterdam as a popular moralizing print.
The union of Faith and Charity depicted here reflects the 'Geistliche Herzens' (Spiritual Heart) tradition and the moral foundations of Northern European spiritual life. In the Western esoteric tradition, particularly within Rosicrucian and Pietist circles, these virtues were seen as the essential inner qualities required for the 'Great Work' of spiritual regeneration and the union with the divine.