Michele Tosini, 'Charity', about 1570. London, The National Gallery.

Personifications: Charity

Charity is the most important of the three Christian virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. Charity could either be expressed as the love of God, or the love of one's neighbour for the sake of God. The love of God was illustrated by a figure holding a flame or a flaming heart. The love of one's neighbour was shown by one of the acts of mercy: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, nursing the sick, welcoming strangers, visiting prisoners and burying the dead.

In 14th-century Italy, a new way of depicting Charity was developed. This took the form of a loving mother with three, or more, children. In the example shown here, there is also a fire in the bottom left-hand corner of the image, so that both types of Charity are combined.

See Also

• Lucas Cranach the Elder: 'Charity'
• Antony Van Dyck: 'Charity'

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