Artwork
The astronomy
The astronomy is a paint painting by the Early Renaissance artist Melozzo da Forlì. It dates from 1474 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1474, *The Astronomy* is an oil painting by Italian Renaissance artist Melozzo da Forlì. The work exemplifies the early Renaissance interest in allegory and displays the painter’s reputation for skillful handling of perspective. It is presently housed in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a kneeling male figure, dressed in dark garments with a white stripe, extending his hands toward a seated woman on a throne-like chair. The woman, clad in white with a shawl, holds a circular object pierced by a staff, suggesting an allegorical reference to celestial study or the discipline of astronomy.
Technique & Style
Melozzo employs his characteristic foreshortening to give the figures a three‑dimensional presence against a shallow architectural backdrop featuring a wall and arch. The meticulous rendering of drapery, facial features, and the play of light contributes to a realistic, spatially convincing scene typical of the Forlì school.
History & Provenance
The painting was produced during Melozzo’s mature period when he was a leading figure in the Forlì painting tradition. After changing hands over the centuries, it entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s early Renaissance holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Melozzo da Forlì (c. 1438 – 8 November 1494) was an Italian Renaissance painter and architect. His fresco paintings are notable for the use of foreshortening. He was the most important member of the Forlì painting school.
Allegory of Dialectics
A Peasant Handing a Fruit Basket to an Enthroned Woman
A Peasant Handing a Fruit Basket to an Enthroned Woman
Esther Kneeling before Ahasverus
Esther Kneeling before Ahasverus
The Presentation in the Temple
Christ and the woman taken in adultery (John 8:2-11)
En ung fyrste på sin trone omgivet af allegoriske figurer
The Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi
The Presentation in the Temple
The Generosity of Scipio