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Allegory Art in The Metropolitan Museum: Expressing Complex Ideas Through Personifications and Symbols

3 min read
Allegory Art in The Metropolitan Museum: Expressing Complex Ideas Through Personifications and Symbols

Allegory is a technique employed in the literary and visual arts to express complex or abstract ideas through the use of personifications and symbols. In art, allegories often take the form of personifications and/or symbols which, based on a conventionally agreed relation between concept and representation, refer to an idea outside the work of art. There are numerous examples of allegorical art in The Metropolitan Museum, many of which date back to the medieval and Renaissance periods. These artworks provide insight into how different cultures and religions have used allegory to express ideas and concepts.

Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic

Italian, Venice 1696–1770 Madrid / The Met

    Like the other frescoes in this gallery, this allegorical figure of Arithmetic, identified by the inscription on the base of the feigned statue, is from the Palazzo Valle Marchesini Sala in Vicenza.
    The simulated architecture, foreshortened from a viewing point in the center of the room, was carried out by a specialist in this type of work, Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna, who collaborated with Tiepolo on a number of commissions.
    The frescoes were probably commissioned by Count Giorgio Marchesini, and their iconography may reflect his particular interest in Freemasonry.

Allegorical Figure Representing Metaphysics

Italian, Venice 1696–1770 Madrid / The Met

    Like the other frescoes in this gallery, this allegorical figure of Metaphysics, identified by the inscription on the base of the feigned statue, is from the Palazzo Valle Marchesini Sala in Vicenza.
    The simulated architecture, foreshortened from a viewing point in the center of the room, was carried out by a specialist in this type of work, Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna, who collaborated with Tiepolo on a number of commissions.
    The frescoes were probably commissioned by Count Giorgio Marchesini, and their iconography may reflect his particular interest in Freemasonry.

Charity

Italian, Bologna 1575–1642 Bologna / The Met

    This allegorical figure of Charity follows a well-established iconographical model of a woman breastfeeding a group of children.
    Reni commanded the highest prices and greatest admiration among his contemporaries for such idealized faces and jewel-like tones.
    This painting may have been commissioned or bought by Prince Karl Eusebius von Liechtenstein (1611 - 1684), who traveled to Italy in 1629 - 30.

An Allegory

Italian, Genoese, 1668–1746 / The Met

    The fantastical subject of this painting has eluded scholars.
    The woman holding dividers over an open book with diagrams has been identified as Circe or Melissa, but is probably a more generic sorceress surrounded by symbols of her dark magic:skulls, a bat, and a chimera (a fantastical winged creature).
    The representation in the left foreground of a coati, a member of the raccoon family native to South America, is unique in early modern painting and was probably based on an animal living in a private zoo in Genoa.

The Muse of Painting

American, New York 1835–1910 Providence, Rhode Island / The Met

    By 1870, La Farge had moved away from his early realistic manner to a more decorative, academic style of easel painting.
    "The Muse of Painting" synthesizes the different and somewhat contradictory tendencies found in his work at this time.
    The landscape represents a site that artist painted frequently, the ridge behind Bishop Berkeley's Rock near his farm outside of Newport, Rhode Island.
    The figure belongs to the mainstream of nineteenth-century ideal painting, representing an allegory of the art of painting.
    In an odd twist, La Farge depicted the muse as an artist rather than as the inspiratrice of an artist.
    Her inspiration is the surrounding landscape of Newport, proving that nature is the true muse of painting.
    The landscape and overall composition are handled in highly decorative manner, mingling carefully observed details with dreamy, evocative colors.

From 14th Century To 15th Century

From 14th Century To 15th Century

During the 14th and 15th centuries, artists in Europe began to break away from the traditional Gothic style. They began to experiment with new techniques and styles, resulting in a period of great creativity and innovation in the arts. Some of the most famous artworks from this period include the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the sculptures of Donatello. Box with Romance Scenes     This coffret illustrated with scenes from Arthurian and other courtly literature of the M
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From 1819 To 1826

From 1819 To 1826

The 19th century was a time of great change in the world of art. Artists began to experiment with new styles and media, and the art world was forever changed as a result. Some of the most famous artists of the time include Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso. The Falls of Niagara     The painting is of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.     The painting is based on a vignette of the falls from a map of North America published by Henry S. Tanner in 1822. Heroic Landscape w
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From 1787 To 1800

From 1787 To 1800

The 18th century was a time of great change in the world of art. New styles and genres emerged, and artists began to experiment with new techniques and materials. The art of the 18th century reflected the changing times, and the growing interest in the natural world and the human form. Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby     The Irish actress Elizabeth Farren made her London debut in 1777 and soon became one of the most popular comic performers of the day.  
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