Artwork
Flora
Flora is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Melzi. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Flora is a painting by Francesco Melzi, created around 1520. It is an oil painting that has been part of notable collections, including the Hermitage Museum since 1850.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Flora, the Roman goddess of spring and flowers, a popular subject in Renaissance art. She is shown holding flowers, symbolizing her association with the season.
Technique & Style
The artist achieved a three-dimensional effect through the use of chiaroscuro, evident in the way light falls on the subject's face and arms. Attention to detail is also seen in the rendering of fabric folds and shadows.
History & Provenance
The painting was recorded in Maria de' Medici's collection in 1649 and later became part of the Hermitage Museum's collection in St. Petersburg in 1850.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Melzi, or Francesco de Melzi (1491 – 1570) was an Italian painter born into a family of the Milanese nobility in Lombardy.
