Vanity and Hypocrisy, c.1270, Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment

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Vanity and Hypocrisy, c.1270, Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment

This Illumination, an allegorical metaphor of seduction and sin showing a Siren and Centaur, two mythological beasts from medieval history that ultimately became vehicles for Christian teaching. The siren is represented as half woman, half bird, with an extraordinary power to lure sailors with their charm. However, in this text, the siren has become a moralizing symbol of vanity while the center represents the sin of hypocrisy in the Christian tradition.

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Vanity and Hypocrisy, c.1270, Tempera colors, gold leaf, and ink on parchment

Unknown, French Illuminator (13th - Century)

This Illumination, an allegorical metaphor of seduction and sin showing a Siren and Centaur, two mythological beasts from medieval history that ultimately became vehicles for Christian teaching. The siren is represented as half woman, half bird, with an extraordinary power to lure sailors with their charm. However, in this text, the siren has become a moralizing symbol of vanity while the center represents the sin of hypocrisy in the Christian tradition.