19th century, Allegory of Italy

19th century Allegory of Italy Oil on canvas 64 x 40 With frame, cm 73 x 50 During the 19th century, the fervent Italian cultural climate dominated by the aspiration for a finally united Italy meant that many Italian painters produced allegories, in which the political message clearly emerged in terms of propaganda and the popular synthesis of higher ideological content. The canvas under examination is, in fact, a spokesperson for these demands, proposing an allegory of Italy, a "people of poets, artists, heroes, saints, thinkers, scientists," and of the Italian Risorgimento. The canvas is of rare wonder not only for the singularity and richness of the represented iconography, but also for the character, solemnity, fluidity of color, drapery, and for the rawness of the language. Italy, hieratic and majestic, dominates the center of the scene: positioned on a cloud dressed in a white tunic and wrapped in a red cloak, she holds a scepter in her right hand, while her head is girded by the typical crown of ancient depictions of Turrita Italy. The pathos is charged by the enveloping brushstroke, by the compositional dynamism and by the warm light that envelops the scene and lingers with intensity on the face. She is flanked by two winged putti who, together with the semi-recumbent figures below, can be a symbol of the fertility and gifts that the Italian land gives to its people. In the background, the column with the Capitoline Wolf is clearly visible, the animal that took care of the two founders Romulus and Remus, becoming a symbol of the foundation of Rome, the eternal city. The artist then chooses to represent a procession of characters and allegories well recognizable to the public of the time. From left to right, one can identify, in fact, respectively: Sandro Botticelli; Dante Alighieri, the Supreme Poet as well as "prophet of the Unity of Italy"; Leonardo da Vinci; Giuseppe Parini, a writer committed in a civil and moral sense; Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy following the abdication of his father Carlo Alberto in 1848, dressed in military clothes. On the right we find a female figure in which it is possible to recognize the allegory of the Republic of Venice, with the doge's horn, the classic headdress of the doge and the shield with the lion, while on the left is proposed the France of Napoleon, imagined by the artist as a woman with long loose hair girded by a band with the monogram "N" framed by a crown of laurel leaves: Napoleon was, in fact, the one who awakened the desire for independence in many places in Italy. Finally, at the bottom, two crowned elders are visible, variously identified either with the two famous poets of antiquity Homer, caught in the act of holding the staff and Hesiod, both incarnations of the ancient world or as personifications of the Tiber and Arno rivers, as the depicted waters would seem to suggest. The object is in good condition With Ars Antiqua it is possible to defer all amounts up to a maximum of €7,500 at ZERO RATE, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS. Ex. Tot. €4,500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months. Ex. Tot. €3,600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months. For amounts exceeding €7,500 or for a greater extension of time (over 15 installments), we can provide a personalized payment. Contact us directly to get the best quote. LIVE TV – SUNDAY 17.00 – 21.00 Dig.terr. 126 + 809 SKY - THURSDAY 21.00 - 24.00 Dig.terr. 134 + 809 SKY – Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our social media Facebook and Youtube All the works proposed by Ars Antiqua are sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity according to law and an accurate data sheet. It is possible to see the works directly at the Milan showroom gallery, in via Pisacane 55 and 57. We personally organize transports and deliveries of the works, both for Italy and abroad.