Johannes Vermeer's "A Woman Holding a Balance"

Nationality: Dutch
Born-Died: 1632-1675
Creation Date: c. 1662-1663
Size: 16.7 × 15 inch (42.5 × 38 cm)
Media: Oil on canvas
Location: The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA

This is easily one of my favorite Vermeers. When I think of painting quality I think of works like this.

The Glory of American Money - Hermon Atkins MacNeil's "Standing Liberty Quarter"

On this Day in the History of Art: John Milton sells publication rights to “Paradise Lost” for £10 (1667), first performance of Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks” (1749), Ludwig van Beethoven composed “Für Elise” (1810), Theodor Kittelson born (1857)

"Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1866-1947
Creation Date: 1916
Media: Silver coin

Among other things I enjoy the unusual composition of this piece. The figure was originally bare-breasted (second image), but the image was later changed (first image) to being armored.

The Glory of American Money - Augustus Saint-Gaudens' High Relief "Double Eagle” Design

On this Day in the History of Art: Robert Campin died (1444), Giuliano de' Medici died (1478), Gian Paolo Lomazzo born (1538), William Shakespeare born (1564), John James Audubon born (1758), Eugène Delacroix born (1798), first motion picture shown in Hawaii (1906), Dmitri Shostakovitch completes his 4th Symphony (1936)

"Whenever destroyers appear among men, they start by destroying money, for money is men's protection and the base of a moral existence. Destroyers seize gold and leave to its owners a counterfeit pile of paper. This kills all objective standards and delivers men into the arbitrary power of an arbitrary setter of values. Gold was an objective value, an equivalent of wealth produced. Paper is a mortgage on wealth that does not exist, backed by a gun aimed at those who are expected to produce it. Paper is a check drawn by legal looters upon an account which is not theirs: upon the virtue of the victims. Watch for the day when it becomes, marked: 'Account overdrawn."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1848-1907
Creation Date: 1907
Media: Gold coin

The Glory of American Money - William Hicok Low's "History Instructing Youth"

On this Day in the History of Art: Leon Battista Alberti died (1472), “Robinson Crusoe” published (1719), Gustave Boulanger born (1824), Peter Il'yich Tchaikovsky born (1840), Tokyo opens to foreign trade, influencing Impressionist painters (1867)

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1853-1933

Creation Date: 1896
Media: Intalgio print

"To the glory of mankind, there was, for the first and only time in history, a country of money--and I have no higher, more reverent tribute to pay to America, for this means: a country of reason, justice, freedom, production, achievement."

-Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

The text to the right is the US Constitution.

The Glory of American Money - 1907 $5 Note

On this Day in the History of Art: Library of Congress established (1800), Anthony Trollope born (1815), the Woolworth building opens (1913), Bridget Riley born (1931)

"Men who have no courage, pride, or self-esteem, men who have no moral sense of their right to their money and are not willing to defend it as they defend their life, men who apologize for being rich – will not remain rich for long."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Creation Date: 1907
Media: intaglio print

What I love about this image is the dignity with which this American man is portrayed. His feet and hands are posed with both strength and grace. He stands in front of his wife and child in a way that demonstrates that should he need to stand in front of them to protect them he could do the job. He is a hard-working, productive man who survives and prospers by his own efforts and the artist casts this type of person in a positive light.

If this man were alive today I can't help but think about how he would vote, what would be his attitude towards current events and many contemporary ideas.

The Glory of American Money - Edwin H. Blashfield's "Science Presenting Steam And Electricity To Commerce And Manufacture"

On this Day in the History of Art: Miguel de Cervantes died (1616), J. M. W. Turner born (1775), William Wordsworth died (1850), Frans Koppelaar born (1943)
"It is not the moochers or the looters who give value to money. Not an ocean of tears nor all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow. Those pieces of paper, which should have been gold, are a token of honor – your claim upon the energy of the men who produce. Your wallet is your statement of hope that somewhere in the world around you there are men who will not default on that moral principle which is the root of money."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1848-1936
Creation Date: 1896
Media: intaglio print

The Glory of American Money - Walter Shirlaw's "Electricity Presenting Light To The World"

On this Day in the History of Art: Immanuel Kant born (1724), Ansel Adams died (1984)

"Take a look at an electric generator and dare tell yourself that it was created by the muscular effort of unthinking brutes."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Nationality: American
Born/Died: 1838-1909
Creation Date: 1896
Media: intaglio print

This represents many glorious things.

Art and Money Week: Marinus Claeszvan Reymerswaele's "Two Tax Collectors"

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There is a wonderful history of works of art that depict tax collectors in a negative light. In fact, I have never heard of a work that depicted them in in a positive way! It's nice to know that changing people's psychological view of the tax man would certainly be an uphill battle.

This painting depicts hideous men dressed in absurd, flashy clothing as they go down their lists. It's also a great example of the artist expressing how he believed man should not be in regards to money.

Art and Money Week: Domenico Fetti's "Parable of the Lost Drachma"

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The parable of the lost drachma or lost coin is from the New Testament. This is a surprising parable in that it does not condemn the woman for valuing her money. When she finds it again it is justifiably considered cause for celebration.

"...what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.'" - Luke 15:8-10

A bit of sense from the Bible.

Art and Money Week: Salomon Koninck's "The Gold Weigher"

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It's no coincidence that the golden age of dutch art occurred at the time when Amsterdam's economy boomed. Artists from that time and place depicted money in their work a great deal. While many European representations of money are used to demonstrate that worldly possessions are evil, many of these Dutch artists portrayed money in a much more mature and positive light. For instance, in this picture, the delicate way this man is holding the scale with his little finger extended demonstrate his gentility and refinement, not baseness or underhandedness. His fashion is dignified, not ostentatious.

Art and Money Week: Alexandre Jacques Chantron "Danae"

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The subject of Danae being impregnated by a shower of gold from Zeus is common in Western painting, but it is one of the few instances were money is used for something sexual. I always find it strange that the shower of gold usually takes place in the form of coins. Although the coins in this painting look (to me) static and uninspired in their presentation, this is still a beautiful painting.

Art and Money Week: Victor Dubreuil's "Money to Burn"

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No donations yesterday. So far this blog has earned $6.74.

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This is a painting of heaven on earth, and despite the title, burning it would be sacrilege.

Art and Money Week: Johannes Vermeer's "Woman with a Balance"

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This is another example of a work that has had a change of title over the years. For a long time it was called "Woman Weighing Gold." All the more reason to consider titles with a grain of salt.

Art and Money Week: Gilbert Stuart's "George Washington"

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You may recognize this unfinished painting from the very popular reproduction of it below. Due to the printing process, the image is reversed.

Albrecht Dürer's "Jakob the Rich"

Here is an image of a business man called "Jakob the Rich" or "Jakob the Wealthy" who was one of the richest men in history. I post this painting today in celebration of the revenue I've earned thus far from maintaining this blog (Google Adsense): one penny!