| There has been the paradox relationship between religious beliefs and wealth. There is always going to be tension between the two. The thesis focuses on the money or gold weighing painting, which is popular in Dutch in the17th centery, clear the meaning of the theme, and explore the way of solution about the dilemma between religious beliefs and wealth. During this period, great change has taken place in both economic and religion aspects in Dutch. The money or gold weighing painting could be regarded as a window of the overall situation. The thesis focus on the period from the16th century to the late17th century, when money or gold weighing painting is popular, and regarded these painting in17th century as the object of study.The thesis proposes that the gold-weigher in paintings changed from "sinner" to "the exemplification of Justice" from the16to the17th century, which influenced by The Protestant ethic. On the one hand, the conception of the Calling provide support on profit behavior in secular society. Calvinistic doctrine of predestination influenced the depiction of the gold-weigher character to a certain extent, who seems to close to The Chosen One. On the other hand, the concept of worldly asceticism made rationality become the characteristics of gold-weigher. The thesis analyzed the painting which displays the example of women in family and the implication of Vanitas in the late17th century. And trying to refute the view that what the money or gold weighing painting’s talk is about greedy. Though comparing in Multi-level, the ambiguity of the theme is revealed, the biased understanding is broken.The thesis aims to illustrate the third way of solution on the dilemma between religious beliefs and wealth through analysis the money or gold weighing painting. On one hand, wealth and profit behavior is allowed in practical significance, and it is not allowed in the ultimate meaning of life on the other hand. Both aspects are compatible and keep balance. |
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