Theodoor van Thulden: Time Reveals the Truth (1657)

(Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia)

Theodoor van Thulden (1606-1669) was a Dutch artist from Brabant. He painted a lot of altarpieces but also several allegorical pieces such as this. Thulden frequently worked with Peter Paul Rubens and Thulden is heavily influenced by Rubens. The subject of this painting is an allegory of "Veritas Filia Temporis" - "Truth is the Daughter of Time". Truth -a naked young woman who emerges from the cave from which she was born - is saved from 2 persons by a winged aged man - her father, Time. The persons attacking Truth are Envy, with snakes as hair and a torch in 1 hand, and Stupidity. both are trying to prevent the Victory of Truth. The figure above Envy is a Chimera - a female figure with snake-lie tails instead of legs. The persons who is lying at the feet of Time is Hypocrisy, depicted with the traditional mask. This painting is from 1657.