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Allegorical Group Representing the Four Parts of the World: Europe
(Baroque Europe )
Very little is known about Francesco Bertos, a highly original artist who created a considerable number of complicated pyramidal groups in a very distinctive, ingenious style that mirrors the lightness and airiness of contemporary rococo painting in France.
These four groups (Walters 54.659, 54.657, 54.660, and 54.658) are symbolic representations (allegories) of the four parts of which the world was then thought to consist. The concept of separate "continents" would come later. All have their names engraved. In the allegory of Europe, Jupiter, the king of the gods in Greco-Roman mythology, crowns Bellona, the goddess of war. Jupiter's eagle rest on objects used in war: canon, shield, and drum. Europe's dominance is thereby expressed through her military prowess. The figure of Religion on the ground reveals that the Christian faith supports the super position that Europe' was assumed to enjoy. See further 54.657.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Spiradon, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Jacques Seligmann & Co., Inc. Sale, New York, February 17, 1917; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1917, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1995 | The Allure of Bronze. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 7/15/1974 | Treatment | cleaned; examined for condition |
Geographies
Italy, Padua
(Place of Origin)
Italy, Venice (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 25 × W: 17 11/16 × D: 14 7/16 in. (63.5 × 45 × 36.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1917
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.659
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