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Nicolas Regnier (1591–1667)
An Allegory of Wisdom
Inscribed, dated and signed on the letter:
“Venezia adi 12 Gunie [indistinct] 1626 et in
fede della verita scritto de mano mio” [sic.]/ N.
Ramaedius” in ligature
Oil on canvas
53 ¼ x 41 3/8 inches (135 x 105 cm.)
Only recently rediscovered and restored to the oeuvre of Nicolas Régnier, this sumptuous painting
belongs with a group of works, which Annick Lemoine catalogues as a series of overdoors
showing an Allegory of Wisdom and an Allegory of Vanity in the Palazzo Reale, Turin, the former of
which is signed, inscribed and dated on the cartellino: "fatto a Venezia il 6 Giunio 1626 per segno della
verità. Scritto di mio pugno N. Renieri."1(fig. 1).
These pendant paintings are thought to be
commissions received by Nicolas Régnier from the Court of Savoy, and they are emblematic of
the painter’s style during his stay in Venice.2
They are among Régnier’s most successful
compositions, evident from the several different versions which were created. Lemoine, in her
monograph of the artist (2007), identifies four versions and/or copies of the Allegory of Wisdom,
and two of the Allegory of Vanity.3
1
"Made in Venice on the 6th June 1626 and signed and inscribed with my own hand N. Renieri”: Annick Lemoine, Nicolas
Régnier (ca. 1588 - 1667), Paris: Arthena, 2007, pp. 251-254, cat. nos. 54 and 55, reproduced in colour on p. 125.
2
Ibid., p. 124.
3
Ibid., pp.124-125 and 251-254, Allegory of Wisdom (cat. nos. 54 a-d), Allegory of Vanity (cat. nos. 55 and 56.)
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This series of allegories suggests continuity in the approach Régnier started adopting in Rome,
where he was attracted to Simon Vouet’s more seductive interpretation of Caravaggism with its
clear light and classical structure. However, these allegories mark a departure from his previous
work with a more theatrical and descriptive composition, a more sophisticated palette and a
more idealized rendering of the figures.4
In Allegory of Wisdom, a female figure is depicted half-length, emerging from the darkness. The
bright whiteness of her porcelain-like skin and blond hair is set against a majestic sweep of sheer,
airy and soft silk fabric with shades of grey and blue. Lemoine suggests that the star above her
head could be interpreted as a good omen or a symbol of the Truth. 5 The artist paid as much
attention to his still-life elements as he did to the figure. On the left-hand side of the image,
books, which are attributes of Wisdom, were carefully placed inclined at slightly different angles,
therefore creating a network of diagonals contrasting with the perfectly circular crane placed
above the pile of books. Régnier’s signature appears on a letter partially inserted underneath a
book.6 The skull serves as a memento mori, and is emphasised by its realistic reflection in the mirror
behind. The young woman’s look of contemplation and her delicate gesture of holding a scale in
her hand above the mirror and the skull are all reminders of the importance of measure, caution
and time’s passing.7
The Allegory of Wisdom is a refined example of Régnier’s stylistic experiments in his Venetian
period. In the background, usually neutral in Régnier’s previous works, a landscape is depicted
with a monumental column on the left, and a ruined wall with lush vegetation on the right. 8
Régnier seems to have been here inspired by Venetian masters such as Titian and Veronese, and
by his contemporaries Fetti and Liss. The Allegory of Wisdom, with its Venetian accents, its subtle
colour palette and its vigorous chiaroscuro, prefigures the series of masterpieces executed by
Régnier in his mature work, such as Scène de carnaval in Warsaw or Woman at her toilet in Lyon,
4
Ibid., p. 124.
Ibid., p. 125.
6
Ibid.
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
5
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which were to establish his contemporary reputation and which are largely responsible for his
present day fame.9
A painting of identical size to the present painting, and representing an Allegory of Vanity, is
presently in a private collection, Vienna (fig.2) and it is likely that it and our painting once
formed pendants.
Fig.1 Nicholas Regnier, Allegory of Vanity and Allegory of Wisdom, Palazzo Reale, Turin
Fig.2 Nicholas Regnier, An Allegory of Vanity, private collection, Vienna
9
Ibid.
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We are grateful to Dr. Annick Lemoine, for confirming the attribution to Nicholas Regnier,
upon first-hand inspection in Paris (November, 2015). Dr. Lemoine was unaware of this painting
at the time of the preparation of her catalogue raisonné. In her monograph on the artist, Dr.
Lemoine notes the existence of other versions of this composition.
Thos Agnew & Sons Ltd, registered in England No 00267436 at 21 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8LP
VAT Registration No 911 4479 34