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Allegory of Life

1561
Not on view
This compelling and enigmatic image has elicited many explanations of its content, none of which have entirely resolved its meaning. An elderly man at left—possibly a philosopher—leans against a riverside rock, his hand outstretched to a crowned woman who strides toward him at right. In the most general terms, this scene is understood as an allegory with a hopeful message: the man who has poorly guided the boat of his own existence is saved by the woman representing reason. The print’s large size, numerous details, and intertwined elements contribute to a visual puzzle that requires great concentration to understand. This challenge would have appealed to an educated audience in the sixteenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Allegory of Life
  • Artist: Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, Mantua ca. 1520–1582 Mantua)
  • Artist: After Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) (Italian, Urbino 1483–1520 Rome)
  • Date: 1561
  • Medium: Engraving; second state of six (BLL)
  • Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 14 3/4 × 21 3/16 in. (37.5 × 53.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
  • Object Number: 53.600.594
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Gli Archi Fatti per la Entrata. . .Henrico III nella Città di Mantova
Giorgio Ghisi
1574
Hercules, Bacchus, Pan, and Another God
Giorgio Ghisi
Francesco Primaticcio
1560s
Caius Marius in Prison
Giorgio Ghisi
Polidoro da Caravaggio
The Visitation
Giorgio Ghisi
Francesco Salviati (Francesco de' Rossi)
1540s
Venus and Vulcan Seated on a Bed
Giorgio Ghisi
Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi)
mid-1550s

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