Artwork
Charity
Charity is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Carlo Cignani. It dates from 1690 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depiction of the tender maternal gesture, combined with the infant’s repose, underscores themes of self‑less sustenance and divine compassion.
The work titled Charity, painted by Carlo Cignani in 1680 on a copper support, portrays a sleeping infant being breast‑fed by a nude figure, an iconography traditionally linked to the virtue of charity as a nurturing, life‑giving act. The depiction of the tender maternal gesture, combined with the infant’s repose, underscores themes of self‑less sustenance and divine compassion. As recorded in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s catalogue, the composition reflects the symbolic language of the period, where a nursing child signified charitable generosity and spiritual nourishment.
Technique & Style
Carlo Cignani's Charity is executed in oil paint on a copper support, a combination well suited to the smooth, enamel-like finish that the metal substrate allows. The painting is relatively small in scale, measuring 50.8 cm in height by 68.6 cm in width, with the horizontal orientation accommodating the reclining figure grouping. The copper ground provides a luminous, reflective base that heightens tonal transitions in the flesh and drapery, while the oil medium permits fine blending and subtle modeling characteristic of late-seventeenth-century Italian practice.
The composition depicts a sleeping infant being nursed, rendered with the polished, idealized handling typical of Cignani's classicizing approach.
History & Provenance
The painting Charity was created by the Italian artist Carlo Cignani in 1680. Executed in oil paint on a copper support, the work measures 50.8 by 68.6 centimeters. The piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 2020.263.6.
While the specific circumstances of its original commission and the details of its ownership history prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly established at the year 1680. The artwork currently resides within the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings.
Charity by Carlo Cignani is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is catalogued under the accession number 2020.263.6, as indicated by the Wikidata record. Executed in oil on copper and dated 1680, the painting entered the Metropolitan's holdings in 2020. No prior provenance details or earlier exhibition history are documented in the available sources.
Context
Charity, a 1680 oil painting on copper by Carlo Cignani, depicts a sleeping infant, nude figure, and breastfeeding motif. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection (accession 2020.263.6) and is displayed in New York. Its material and scale reflect 17th‑century Italian interest in devotional subjects and naturalistic detail.
The painting is recognized as a representative example of Cignani’s output, illustrating the era’s charitable iconography within Italian art.
Overview
Carlo Cignani's painting Charity, completed in 1690, is rendered on a copper support. This work exemplifies the late Baroque Italian painter's characteristic reflective and intimate approach. It portrays a maternal figure surrounded by children, embodying the virtue of charity through a tender domestic scene. The piece is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Carlo Cignani (Italian pronunciation:; 15 May 1628 – 8 September 1719) was an Italian painter.
