Artwork
A Virtue, Possibly Patriotism
A Virtue, Possibly Patriotism is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1760 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the piece functions as an allegory depicting a woman, consistent with the workshop's approach to personifying abstract virtues.
Created in 1760, this work is classified as a painting executed by the Workshop of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The support measures 125.4 cm in height and 92.1 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as an allegory depicting a woman, consistent with the workshop's approach to personifying abstract virtues.
The handling and formal qualities align with the mid-18th-century Venetian tradition of allegorical painting, characterized by the depiction of a female figure representing the concept of patriotism.
History & Provenance
A Virtue, Possibly Patriotism is a painting dated 1760, created in the workshop of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The work measures 125.4 cm by 92.1 cm and depicts an allegorical woman, possibly representing Patriotism. It entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
Specific ownership details prior to acquisition are not documented, and no inventory or accession number, nor exhibition history, is recorded in the available sources. Its classification as a painting and its thematic content align with 18th‑century allegorical cycles.
Overview
This painting, titled A Virtue, Possibly Patriotism, depicts a solitary female figure within a dark, oval border. Her form is dynamically posed, twisting as she extends both arms upwards. The composition emphasizes her upward reach and the implied effort of her gesture, set against a deep, unlit background that isolates her illuminated figure.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is shown in an active, upward motion, seemingly drawing an unseen weight towards the heavens. One hand grasps a folded textile or scroll, while the other stretches openly. The work's title, A Virtue, Possibly Patriotism, suggests an allegorical representation, inviting viewers to consider the specific moral quality or civic devotion embodied by the woman's determined and aspiring posture.
Artist & collection
