Allegory of the Arts

Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo 1584 - 1638

Summary

Canvases by Ansaldo are rare, since much of his work was in fresco. This broadly executed painting may have been intended as part of a decorative scheme of allegorical figures, since the format and the composition suggest that it formed one of a pair or series. The figure is surrounded by symbols of the liberal arts: painting, represented by the palette and brushes; sculpture, by the antique fragment, loosely based on the Belvedere torso; music, by the open page of a score, the violin and what appears to be the head of a lute. Geometry is represented by the set square; astronomy by the armillary sphere; poetry (and arguably rhetoric) by the books and crown of laurels. The sword, a symbol of justice, perhaps implies that the arts and sciences flourish in a well-governed society. Ansaldo was born in Voltri, the son of a merchant. He was taught by Orazio Cambiaso (1583-1600), and was also influenced by fellow Genoese Giovanni Battista Paggi (1554-1627) and by Giulio Cesare Procaccini (1574-1625), who was in Genoa from around 1615. He himself had an important influence on the development of illusionistic fresco decorations in Genoa.

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Allegory of the Arts early 1600s Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo 1584 - 1638 Oil on canvas Canvases by the Genoese Ansaldo are rare as he mostly painted frescoes. This example was probably part of a decorative scheme of allegorical figures. It shows his interest in painting still life objects, unusual among his Italian contemporaries. The richly-dressed female figure is surrounded by symbols of the liberal arts - painting, sculpture, and music. Geometry is represented by a set square, astronomy by the armillary sphere on the table and poetry by the books and crown of laurels. The work reflects the growing intellectual life of the city and also the design and production of metallic objects by northern craftsmen there. The presence of the sword, a symbol of justice, suggests that the figure represents the idea that the arts and sciences flourish in a well-governed society. Purchased in 1964 1964.285