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alb3681073

GIORGIO GHISI, AFTER RAPHAEL (RAFFAELLO SANZIO OR SANTI). allegory of life

Allegory of Life. Artist: After Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) (Italian, Urbino 1483-1520 Rome); Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, Mantua ca. 1520-1582 Mantua). Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 14 3/4 × 21 3/16 in. (37.5 × 53.8 cm). Date: 1561. This compelling and enigmatic image has elicited many explanations of its content, none of which have entirely resolved its meaning. An elderly man at left--possibly a philosopher--leans against a riverside rock, his hand outstretched to a crowned woman who strides toward him at right. In the most general terms, this scene is understood as an allegory with a hopeful message: the man who has poorly guided the boat of his own existence is saved by the woman representing reason. The print's large size, numerous details, and intertwined elements contribute to a visual puzzle that requires great concentration to understand. This challenge would have appealed to an educated audience in the sixteenth century.
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Author:
Title:
allegory of life
Caption:
Allegory of Life. Artist: After Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) (Italian, Urbino 1483-1520 Rome); Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, Mantua ca. 1520-1582 Mantua). Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 14 3/4 × 21 3/16 in. (37.5 × 53.8 cm). Date: 1561. This compelling and enigmatic image has elicited many explanations of its content, none of which have entirely resolved its meaning. An elderly man at left--possibly a philosopher--leans against a riverside rock, his hand outstretched to a crowned woman who strides toward him at right. In the most general terms, this scene is understood as an allegory with a hopeful message: the man who has poorly guided the boat of his own existence is saved by the woman representing reason. The print's large size, numerous details, and intertwined elements contribute to a visual puzzle that requires great concentration to understand. This challenge would have appealed to an educated audience in the sixteenth century.
Technique/material:
Engraving; second state of six (BLL)
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
4118 x 2877 px | 33.9 MB
Print size:
34.9 x 24.4 cm | 13.7 x 9.6 in (300 dpi)
Keywords: