Group Portrait of Three Brothers

Unknown artist

The youngest child wears a gold crucifix around his neck. This indicates that these boys are Catholic. The Latin inscription on the cartellino above the head of the infant Simon explains why he wears no clothes: he renounces all wealth. This may be a reference to Christ’s words that only the poor will inherit the kingdom of heaven, but it could also mean that Simon’s pious parents wanted him to become a priest.