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Allegory of Virtue

Andrea Andreani

1585

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

Allegory of Virtue is a 1585 ink by Andrea Andreani, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Andrea Andreani
When & what style?: 1585 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

In this image, a woman stands at the center, surrounded by four figures. She is wrapped in a cloth and appears to be bound by ropes. To her left, a man grasps her arm, while another figure stands behind her, holding a rope. On her right, a man pulls on the rope, and a woman lies on the ground, looking up at the central figure. In the background, a cherub with wings is visible. The scene is depicted in a chiaroscuro style, with strong contrasts between light and dark. The figures are rendered in detail, with intricate folds in their clothing and expressive facial expressions. This image is a work by Andrea Andreani, a master of the chiaroscuro woodcut technique.