Faith, Hope and Charity

Faith, Hope and Charity, the three theological virtues, were painted around 1640, during the height of Cortona's career when he was simultaneously working on the monumental ceiling fresco at the Palazzo Barberini and the planetary rooms at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. This allegorical subject was central to Counter-Reformation theology and frequently depicted in Roman Baroque art. Characteristic of Cortona's approach, the work displays exuberant illusionism, dynamic compositions, rich color, grand decorative schemes.

The three virtues are personified as graceful female figures with their traditional attributes, rendered in Cortona's characteristically fluent Baroque manner. Warm, luminous flesh tones and rich drapery colors create a sumptuous visual effect that elevates the allegorical subject.