Cristofano Robetta
Italian, 1462-c. 1535
Allegory of Envy
INV-4373
Cristofano Robetta
Italian, 1462-c. 1535c. 1505
Allegory of Envy
Cristofano Robetta Italian, 1462-c. 1535 →engravingprint
Date
c. 1505
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
23.3 × 18 cm (9 3/16 × 7 1/8 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.
Flanked by younger couples entwined in erotic poses, an unaccompanied older woman appears to scowl. It is unclear whether the central figure, traditionally identified with envy, is the one experiencing the feeling or merely a visual symbol of it. Secular allegorical subjects were popular with Renaissance printmakers, especially in Italy. In this case, the Florentine engraver Cristofano Robetta copied German prints by Albrecht Dürer for the landscape in the background.
Also notable
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