The Union of Drawing and Color

The painting was created by Guido Reni around 1620, as indicated by both internal documentation and the Louvre’s Joconde entry, which concurs on the date of inception.

It entered the collection of the French State and is now held in the Department of Paintings of the Louvre, Paris. Its earlier provenance includes ownership by the French State, though the specific commissioning history prior to this acquisition remains undocumented in the cited sources.

The Union of Drawing and Color is held by the Department of Paintings at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, under the ownership of the French State. Its official inventory number is INV 534, as recorded in the Joconde database of French museum collections. Although the work is currently located in the Louvre, data indicates a location association with the Städel Museum, though the primary institutional holding remains the Parisian museum.

The painting has a complex attribution history reflected in its documentation. It was previously attributed to Guido Reni by various scholars, including Brejon de Lavergnée (1987), Cuzin (1988–89), and Loire (1996), while others like Pepper (1984, 1988) questioned the attribution. A recent restoration is noted to have confirmed the work as an autograph piece by Reni, resolving earlier difficulties caused by the abundance of versions on the same theme.

Guido Reni's allegorical painting, The Union of Drawing and Color, was created in 1620 using oil paint. This work, now housed at the Städel Museum, presents two figures in close proximity, symbolizing fundamental elements of artistic creation. The composition highlights the interaction between these personifications, rendered with Reni's characteristic attention to form and expression.