The Three Philosophers
Encyclopedia
The Three Philosophers is an oil painting on canvas attributed to the Italian High Renaissance
artist Giorgione
. The work was commissioned by the Venetian noble Taddeo Contarini, a Venetian merchant with an interest for occult and alchemy
.
The Three Philosophers was finished around 1509, one year before the painter died. One of Giorgione’s last paintings, it is now displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum
in Vienna
. It shows three philosophers — one young, one middle-aged, and one old.
The current name of the work derives from a writing of Marcantonio Michiel
, who saw it in a Venetian villa. The three figures portrayed are allegorical: an old bearded man, an Arab
, and a sitting young man, enclosed within a natural landscape. In the background is a village
with some mountains, the latter marked by a blue area whose meaning is unknown. The young man is observing a cave on the left of the scene, and apparently measuring it with some instruments.
The general meaning of the work has not been clearly defined by scholars. According to a famous interpretation, the three men would not be the three Magi
facing Jesus
' grotto, but they would represent the three stages of human thought: the Renaissance (the young man), the Muslim expansion age (the man wearing a turban
) and the Middle Ages (the old man). Other hypotheses connect it to astrological and alchemical theories, one of the philosophers being Contarini
, a scholar of those matters.
The painting was finished by Sebastiano del Piombo
.
High Renaissance
The expression High Renaissance, in art history, is a periodizing convention used to denote the apogee of the visual arts in the Italian Renaissance...
artist Giorgione
Giorgione
Giorgione was a Venetian painter of the High Renaissance in Venice, whose career was cut off by his death at a little over thirty. Giorgione is known for the elusive poetic quality of his work, though only about six surviving paintings are acknowledged for certain to be his work...
. The work was commissioned by the Venetian noble Taddeo Contarini, a Venetian merchant with an interest for occult and alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
.
The Three Philosophers was finished around 1509, one year before the painter died. One of Giorgione’s last paintings, it is now displayed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on Ringstraße, it is crowned with an octagonal dome...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. It shows three philosophers — one young, one middle-aged, and one old.
The current name of the work derives from a writing of Marcantonio Michiel
Marcantonio Michiel
Marcantonio Michiel was a Venetian noble from a family prominent in the service of the State who was interested himself in matters of art...
, who saw it in a Venetian villa. The three figures portrayed are allegorical: an old bearded man, an Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, and a sitting young man, enclosed within a natural landscape. In the background is a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
with some mountains, the latter marked by a blue area whose meaning is unknown. The young man is observing a cave on the left of the scene, and apparently measuring it with some instruments.
The general meaning of the work has not been clearly defined by scholars. According to a famous interpretation, the three men would not be the three Magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
facing Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' grotto, but they would represent the three stages of human thought: the Renaissance (the young man), the Muslim expansion age (the man wearing a turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
) and the Middle Ages (the old man). Other hypotheses connect it to astrological and alchemical theories, one of the philosophers being Contarini
Contarini
Contarini is an illustrious Venetian family, which furnished eight Doges to the Republic of Venice, as well as an array of eminent figures of the Church, statecraft, generalship, art, and letters.- Notable members :* Domenico I Contarini Contarini is an illustrious Venetian family, which furnished...
, a scholar of those matters.
The painting was finished by Sebastiano del Piombo
Sebastiano del Piombo
Sebastiano del Piombo , byname of Sebastiano Luciani, was an Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter of the early 16th century famous for his combination of the colors of the Venetian school and the monumental forms of the Roman school.- Biography :Sebastiano del Piombo belongs to the painting school...
.