Who painted Allegorie?

Allegorie was painted by Francesco Solimena in 1702.

Where can I see Allegorie?

Allegorie is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Allegorie?

Allegorie is associated with High Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Allegorie

Francesco Solimena , 1702

Allegorie is an unspecified painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Francesco Solimena. It dates from 1702 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1702, Allegorie is an oil painting by the Neapolitan artist Francesco Solimena, now part of the collection at Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The work belongs to the High Baroque period in Italy and exemplifies Solimena’s mature style, which blends dramatic lighting with a measured classicism.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts an elderly, bearded figure seated within an interior space, grasping a scroll and gesturing toward a winged child. The child holds a crown and a cloth, looking upward at the elder. The interaction, together with the symbolic objects, suggests an allegorical narrative, possibly concerning wisdom, authority, or the transmission of divine favor.

Technique & Style

Solimena employs a strong chiaroscuro, with a luminous window source cutting through a dark, cloud‑filled background. The contrast highlights the figures’ forms and creates a sense of depth. The brushwork balances the dynamism typical of early Neapolitan Baroque with a more restrained, classical compositional order that marks the artist’s later period.

History & Provenance

After its completion, the painting entered private collections before being acquired by the Alte Pinakothek, where it has been displayed since the museum’s 19th‑century expansion of its Italian Baroque holdings. Its provenance reflects the broader European interest in Solimena’s work during the Enlightenment era.

Context

Solimena worked in a vibrant artistic environment in Naples, initially influenced by contemporaries Luca Giordano and Mattia Preti. By the early 1700s he had developed a personal idiom that combined the theatricality of Baroque drama with the balanced harmony of classicism, a synthesis evident in Allegorie.