An Allegory of Louis XIV
- Artist: Francesco Solimena
- Date: about 1700
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "An Allegory of Louis XIV" by Francesco Solimena, painted in Italy around 1700. The painting is an allegory, meaning it uses symbols and figures to convey a deeper message. Here, the goddess Minerva sits on the back of a lion, pointing to a shield held up by putti. Next to her is an aged man personifying Time, bending under the weight of a book where Fame is about to write.
You'll notice that this painting shares many similarities with another version in the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, but it's a bit less polished and has some key differences. For instance, this shield doesn't have a portrait or an inscription, whereas the other one does. In fact, the original likeness on the St Petersburg painting was of Louis XIV, but it was later covered with Empress Catherine the Great's portrait.
This painting would've been shown to potential patrons as a record of Solimena's composition, and they could've filled in the shield themselves. It's a fascinating piece that uses mythology and symbolism to convey a deeper message about wisdom, history, and time itself.
See it in person
An Allegory of Louis XIV 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.
