Allegory of Virtue and Riches

A small, beady-eyed sparrow on one side of a set of scales heavily outweighs the gold and pearls which a weeping woman, two tears glistening on her cheeks, places in the other. Clearly, in the real word, this couldn't happen: the bird would be much the lighter than the jewellery. But this picture does not seek to depict the real world - it's an allegorical painting and the sparrow is probably intended to represent virtue and true love. The moral is that no amount of gold and pearls can match the value of the woman's virtue; her tears suggest that she has traded her virginity for jewels and expensive clothes, and now regrets her decision.

Ironically, this painting also has jewel-like qualities. It is tiny and painted on a copper plate, which allowed the artist to create an exceptionally fine, bright finish.

Credit: Bequeathed by Richard Simmons, 1847