Artwork
Allegory of Avarice
Allegory of Avarice is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jacopo Ligozzi. It dates from 1598 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work titled Allegory of Avarice, painted by Jacopo Ligozzi in 1598, functions as a moral allegory that critiques excessive greed.
The work titled Allegory of Avarice, painted by Jacopo Ligozzi in 1598, functions as a moral allegory that critiques excessive greed. Its composition includes a female figure accompanied by a skeletal personification, a conventional symbol of mortality that underscores the fleeting nature of material desire. Executed in oil on canvas, the piece measures approximately 139.4 cm by 84.5 cm and belongs to the allegory genre. The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium Ligozzi favored for its luminous depth and subtle tonal transitions. The handling reveals a precise, linear approach combined with delicate sfumato in the modeling of flesh and drapery, a hallmark of Ligozzi's Florentine training. The composition is structured around a central female figure representing Avarice, her skeletal attributes rendered with anatomical clarity yet softened by atmospheric recession.
The palette is subdued, dominated by earthy ochres and umbers, punctuated by the pale luminosity of the figure's skin and the gleaming highlights on skeletal bones and metallic accoutrements.
History & Provenance
The Allegory of Avarice by Jacopo Ligozzi is dated 1598. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, accessioned as 1975.1.122. Measuring 139.4 cm in height and 84.5 cm in width, the oil-on-canvas painting entered the museum in 1975. No further details regarding the original commission or earlier provenance are provided in the referenced sources.
Overview
Jacopo Ligozzi, an Italian artist from the late 16th century, completed Allegory of Avarice in 1598. This oil painting exemplifies the Mannerist tradition through its detailed execution and symbolic narrative. It portrays a central allegorical female figure accompanied by a skeletal presence, exploring themes of greed. The work is presently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) was an Italian painter, illustrator, designer, and miniaturist. His art can be categorized as late-Renaissance and Mannerist styles.
