Charity 

Anthony van Dyck painted "Charity" sometime in the 17th century. Van Dyck, a leading painter in the court of Charles I, presents us with a vision of motherhood steeped in the politics of his era. The woman depicted is an allegory for "Charity", a classic Renaissance trope of feminine virtue: here, she is a pale figure surrounded by cherubic children. But what does it mean to represent the ideal woman as one who must sacrifice herself? Her gaze is directed upwards, away from the earthly needs of the children who cling to her, a compositional choice which suggests she is thinking of more divine matters. This aspirational quality reflects the values of a society deeply entrenched in religious and social hierarchies. Yet, as we stand here today, we might also ask: Who is afforded the luxury to transcend the mundane? Who is positioned as always earth-bound? Van Dyck's "Charity" makes visible the intricate relationship between representation, power, and the enduring complexities of womanhood.