Allegory of Charity

This 1655 Allegory of Charity in the Prado represents one of the theological virtues as a female figure. Zurbarán's allegorical works were less common than his religious paintings but demonstrate his ability to invest abstract concepts with the same monumental presence he brought to saints. Zurbarán's austere, powerfully meditative style—white-robed monks in intense chiaroscuro, saints presented against dark backgrounds with sculptural solidity—made him the ideal painter for the Counter-Reformation religious orders of Extremadura and Seville.

The allegorical female figure is rendered with Zurbarán's characteristic sculptural modeling, her drapery falling in heavy, architecturally precise folds. The warm color palette and soft lighting reflect the artist's late manner.