Artwork
Allegory of the Air
Allegory of the Air is a paint painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Bassano the Younger. It dates from 1580 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1580, the painting titled *Allegory of the Air* is an oil work by Francesco Bassano the Younger, a late‑Mannerist artist. It belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and exemplifies the period’s penchant for complex, symbolic compositions that blend figuration with imaginative narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas depicts a bustling tableau in which a seated woman on a bench is surrounded by a menagerie of ducks, dogs and assorted objects, while a man behind her grips a long pole. The chaotic arrangement of creatures and items, set against a dim, shadowy backdrop, suggests an allegorical representation of the element of air, conveyed through movement, sound and the sense of things being carried aloft.
Technique & Style
Bassano employs vigorous brushwork and a palette dominated by deep, muted tones to heighten the scene’s dramatic tension. The figures are rendered with the elongated proportions and exaggerated poses typical of Mannerist aesthetics, while the interplay of light and shadow creates a sense of depth that pushes the animated elements beyond the picture plane.
History & Provenance
The work has been part of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s holdings since the early 20th century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its attribution to Francesco Bassano the Younger rests on stylistic analysis and archival references linking the piece to the artist’s productive period in Venice during the late 1570s.
Context
Francesco Bassano the Younger was born in 1549 near Venice, the eldest son of the renowned painter Jacopo Bassano. Trained in the family workshop alongside his brothers, he later opened a Venetian branch of the Bassano studio, continuing the family’s tradition of religious and allegorical subjects while adapting to the evolving tastes of the Mannerist era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Bassano the Younger (Italian: Francesco Bassano il Giovane; 26 January 1549 – 4 July 1592), also called Francesco Giambattista da Ponte or Francesco da Ponte the Younger, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period.
Einzug der Tiere in die Arche Noah (Kopie nach)
Christus bei Maria und Martha (Werkstatt)
Der Sommer (Boas und Ruth)
Aufbruch Abrahams ins gelobte Land
Summer (June, July, August)
Viaje de Tobías y Sara
Abraham leaves Haran for Egypt
Der Einzug der Tiere in die Arche (Werkstattkopie)
April
Der Markt
Orpheus and the animals
Allegory of autumn