Who painted Fate of an Evil Tongue?

Fate of an Evil Tongue was painted by Nicoletto da Modena in 1507.

Where can I see Fate of an Evil Tongue?

Fate of an Evil Tongue is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Fate of an Evil Tongue?

Fate of an Evil Tongue is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Fate of an Evil Tongue

Nicoletto da Modena , 1507

Fate of an Evil Tongue is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Nicoletto da Modena. It dates from 1507 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Fate of an Evil Tongue is an early sixteenth‑century engraving attributed to the Italian printmaker Nicoletto da Modena, dated to around 1507. Executed on a copper plate, the work measures roughly a hand‑size print and presents a compact, narrative scene populated by five nude children within a garden setting, framed by trees and a distant urban skyline.

Subject & Meaning

Two children sit upon a broken, speech‑box-like structure inscribed with a warning, while a third holds a scroll, and the remaining pair stand holding sticks.

The composition depicts five unclothed youths engaged in a tableau that suggests moral instruction. Two children sit upon a broken, speech‑box-like structure inscribed with a warning, while a third holds a scroll, and the remaining pair stand holding sticks. The ruined box, labeled as the "evil tongue," functions as a visual allegory for the punishment of gossip or false speech, a theme common in contemporary didactic art.

Technique & Style

Rendered through line engraving, the image relies on fine hatching and cross‑hatching to model forms and suggest texture in foliage, stone, and flesh. The artist employs a balanced arrangement of figures, using overlapping planes and a shallow depth of field to guide the viewer’s eye across the central narrative while maintaining a clear, linear clarity typical of early Renaissance printmaking.

History & Provenance

The print is known from a limited number of surviving impressions, most of which entered European collections during the nineteenth century. It has been catalogued in several reference works on Italian engraving, and its attribution to Nicoletto da Modena rests on stylistic comparison with other signed works by the artist, though some scholarly debate persists regarding its precise authorship.