Moral significance of insects
Year mention: 1617
Subject:
Ants ; Insects ; Spiders
Conflict:
Sacred vs. profane imagery
Criticism:

Insects, spiders, ants and similar animals have a moral significance and can be useful in painting

Agent:
Molanus, Johannes
Philips Galle, Labour, ca. 1585 - ca. 1590
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.417317

Molanus discusses the usefulness of insects, spiders, ants and similar animals in painting and indicates their moral significance and therefore usefulness to painting.

“Moreover, it may be useful to deepen the moral significance of painting spiders fighting with flies, bees fighting with hornets, or ants with grains of wheat, and the like, which is why it does not hurt to sometimes paint this type of motif.”

“Utilis rursum etiam et ethica significatio eruit potest ex depicta colluctatione araneae cum musca, apis cum fuco, formicae cum gran triticeo, ac similium, quare eiuscemodi suo loco aliquando non male depinguntur.”

Date mention
1617

Historical Location
Leuven

Source
Molanus, De historia sanctarum imaginum et picturarum (1617), book 2, ch. 60, 207
Literature

Molanus 1996, 302.

Permanent Link
https://www.sacrima.eu/case/moral-significance-of-insects-2/