An Allegory
- Artist: Italian, Florentine
- Date: about 1500
- Medium: egg tempera on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "An Allegory" painted in the Italian north, specifically Florence during the Renaissance. The beautiful woman gazes directly at us, seemingly oblivious to the three chubby little boys around her clutching handfuls of pink roses. This idealised beauty may represent fertility, with which the pomegranate - tucked under her arm - containing many seeds was often associated.
The picture's long horizontal format and the reclining blonde in a white dress playing children recall Botticelli's "Venus and Mars" also in this gallery's collection. We don't know who the artist was, but the painting may be based on "Venus and Mars", which could have been placed in a newly wed couple's room to encourage fertility and many children.
The woman's hair rests in springy waves on her shoulders, and her loose white robe is gathered beneath her breasts. Her idealised beauty suggests she may represent fertility, and the fruit, flowers, and long horizontal format all point to the influence of Botticelli's style. This painting was purchased as a potential Botticelli work in 1874, when the artist was hugely popular with English collectors.
See it in person
An Allegory hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
