Artwork
Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat

Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Isaac van Swanenburg. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Isaac van Swanenburg's 1600 oil painting depicts the biblical Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat, a narrative classified within the genre of religious art.
Isaac van Swanenburg's 1600 oil painting depicts the biblical Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat, a narrative classified within the genre of religious art. As the title indicates, the work illustrates the specific scriptural account where a farmer's servants discover weeds growing alongside the wheat in a field. The iconography centers on this agricultural metaphor, which traditionally symbolizes the coexistence of good and evil in the world until the final judgment.
By visualizing this story, the painting represents the theological concept that the righteous and the wicked will remain intermixed until the time of harvest, when they will be separated.
Technique & Style
Isaac van Swanenburg executed Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat using oil paint on a wooden panel. The artwork measures 131 by 147 centimeters. Stylistically, the piece aligns with the religious genre, reflecting the artist's approach to biblical narrative through the medium of panel painting.
History & Provenance
The painting Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat was created by Isaac van Swanenburg in the year 1600. Executed in oil paint on a panel support, the work measures 131 cm in height and 147 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The artwork falls within the genre of religious art, depicting a biblical narrative. No further details regarding the specific commission, original patron, or the chain of ownership prior to its presence in the Rijksmuseum are provided in the available records.
Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat is an oil painting on panel measuring 131 cm by 147 cm, created in 1600 by Isaac van Swanenburg. It is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection in Amsterdam.
The work has been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum, where it is listed in the museum's holdings and has appeared in displays of Dutch Golden Age religious art.
The painting is catalogued under the Rijksmuseum's collection with no additional public accession number provided in the sources.
Overview
Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat is a 1600 oil painting by Isaac van Swanenburg, a Dutch Renaissance artist and civic figure, created during the Dutch Golden Age.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Isaak Nicolai or Isaac Claesz van Swanenburg (1537 – 1614 in Leiden) was a Dutch Renaissance painter and glazier active in Leiden and Gouda. He was a city council member from 1576 and became mayor of Leiden five times.










