Moralizing themes from ancient Greek and Roman mythology became popular subject matter in Venetian painting in the 1500s. Here Wisdom is personified as a woman draped in lustrous silks, assuming a noble stance and projecting divine enlightenment. Strength, in the form of Hercules, slouches behind her and contemplates the vanity of worldly riches scattered at her feet. Commissioned by wealthy patrons for aristocratic households, this genre of history painting is distinct from the religious subjects painted for churches. Paolo Veronese served both markets, and often produced appealing allegorical canvases, including this one. This is a reproduction engraving after Veronese's painting in the Frick Collection in New York.
| Artist |
Louis Desplaces
RKD
|
|---|---|
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Paolo Veronese
RKD
|
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| Title | Allegory of Wisdom and Strength |
| Period | 18th century |
| Medium and support |
etching
AAT
burin engraving AAT |
| Collection | print room |
| Object type |
etching
AAT
burin engraving AAT reproductive prints AAT |
| Inventory number | 2015-LB |
| Acquisition credit | unknown |
| Current whereabouts | Work currently not on display |
| Permalink | https://mskgent.be/collection/work/data/2015-LB |
| IIIF Manifest | https://imagehub.mskgent.be/iiif/3/8911/manifest.json |
| Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
300189808
figures (representations)
AAT
300417629 mythologies (religious concept) AAT 300055866 allegory (artistic device) AAT |
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| Keywords Iconclass |
11S721
wisdom, 'Sapientia' ~ one of the seven gifts of the soul
Iconclass
11S725 power, 'Potestas' ~ one of the seven gifts of the soul Iconclass 25A13 globe Iconclass 31A the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) Iconclass 31A71 male sex; man Iconclass 31A72 female sex; woman Iconclass 31AA the (nude) human figure; 'Corpo humano' (Ripa) - AA - female human figure Iconclass 41A421 curtains Iconclass 44B191 crown (symbol of sovereignty) Iconclass 9 Classical Mythology and Ancient History Iconclass 92D1916 cupids: 'amores', 'amoretti', 'putti' Iconclass 94L (story of) Hercules (Heracles) Iconclass |
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