Artwork
Cura Religionis
Cura Religionis is an oil painting by Johan Pasch. It dates from 1747 and is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1747 by Swedish painter Johan Pasch, *Cura Religionis* is an oil on canvas that now belongs to the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. The work presents a still‑life arrangement of a helmet, a sword and an open book placed before a heavy draped curtain, all set against a distant landscape of trees and sky.
Subject & Meaning
The juxtaposition of martial objects with a book suggests a contemplation of the relationship between warfare and learning, echoing the title’s reference to the care of religion. The curtain, partially drawn back, invites the viewer to peer beyond the material symbols toward a broader, perhaps spiritual, horizon.
Technique & Style
Pasch employs a restrained palette of blues, golds and browns, allowing the forms to emerge through subtle tonal shifts. Strong chiaroscuro creates depth, modeling the helmet and sword with dramatic light while the background recedes into shadow, lending the composition a solemn, meditative atmosphere.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced during Pasch’s active period in mid‑18th‑century Stockholm, when he was known for decorative commissions and etchings. It entered the Nationalmuseum’s collection at an unspecified date, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of Swedish Baroque art.
Context
*Cura Religionis* reflects the decorative sensibilities of the Swedish court, where allegorical still‑lifes were often used to convey moral or religious ideas. Pasch, part of a prominent artistic family, was distinguished as “the Elder” to separate his output from that of a younger relative, underscoring the lineage of artistic practice in the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Pasch (12 March 1706, Stockholm - 16 January 1769, Stockholm) was a Swedish painter, etcher and decorative artist.
