Emblematic Still Life with Flagon, Glass, Jug and Bridle, Johannes Torrentius, 1614
paint on panel, d 51cm Catalogue entry
A pewter flagon, a wine glass, an earthenware jug, a bridle or rein, and a piece of paper with two staves and inscribed ‘what is out of measure, perishes in immeasurable evil.’ These are exhortations to moderation. You must cut wine with water, curb your appetites. This strict message contrasts sharply with the reputation of the painter, who was repeatedly accused of whoremongery and heresy.
