Fine Arts

Behold the Beauty: Holy Matrimony and the Goldsmith

This painting celebrates the hard-won virtues of the master craftsman and the happily married couple.
Behold the Beauty: Holy Matrimony and the Goldsmith
A detail of the painting, "A Goldsmith in His Shop," 1449, by Petrus Christus. Oil on oak panel; 39 3/8 inches by 33 3/4 inches. Robert Lehman Collection, 1975; Metropolitan Museum of Art. Public Domain
Lorraine Ferrier
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Renaissance painter Petrus Christus depicted true love, the heart of marriage, and more in “A Goldsmith in His Shop.” 
Almost every element in the painting points to the virtuosity of the goldsmith or the virtues of holy matrimony. 
Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.