Artwork
A Female Allegorical Figure
A Female Allegorical Figure is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1750 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1750, presents a nude female figure within an allegorical composition characteristic of the Rococo genre.
The work, painted by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in 1750, presents a nude female figure within an allegorical composition characteristic of the Rococo genre. The figure functions as a symbolic personification, likely embodying abstract ideals such as virtue or beauty, consistent with allegorical practice of the period. This interpretation follows from the documented classification as an allegory and the description of the subject as a nude allegory.
Her pose and delicate drapery are typical of Tiepolo's graceful style, reinforcing the ethereal quality associated with allegorical representations of femininity.
Technique & Style
Created in 1750 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, this allegorical painting is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 81.3 centimeters in height and 64.5 centimeters in width, depicting a nude female figure within the Rococo movement. The painting is part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under the accession number 1997.117.8.
Its formal composition centers on the allegorical representation, utilizing the fluidity of oil on canvas to define the figure's form and the surrounding space.
History & Provenance
Created in 1750, this oil painting on canvas was executed by the Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The work, measuring 81.3 by 64.5 centimeters, depicts a nude female subject within an allegorical framework characteristic of the Rococo movement. While the specific circumstances of its original commission and the identity of its first patron are not detailed in the available records, the piece is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the accession number 1997.117.8, indicating its acquisition by the museum in 1997. The painting's history prior to this modern acquisition remains unspecified in the provided documentation.
Overview
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's A Female Allegorical Figure, an oil painting created around 1750, exemplifies the Rococo aesthetic. This work presents a solitary female form, rendered with a sense of classical grace and dramatic light. It is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a significant example of Tiepolo's mature style and his approach to allegorical subjects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
