" Allegory of War and Peace " 1776, By Artist Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787) | ArtLiveAndBeauty

" Allegory of War and Peace " By Artist Pompeo Girolamo Batoni 

Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787) was a prominent and sought-after 18th-century Italian painter. The forefather of the ceremonial representative portrait in the classicism style. Representatives of this movement mostly painted mythical and religious subjects, viewing allegory as a "high" historical genre.

The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by a broad interest in allegory, deciphering meaning, and creating symbols. Allegory has become an intrinsic aspect of the works of the artist Pompeo Batoni's substance. Many aesthetic tendencies and period trends spontaneously combined in his work: echoes of the late baroque, light playful shapes of rococo, and trends of a new movement - neoclassicism.

The realistic inclinations of 18th-century Italian painting could not but but influence Batoni's art. Even in this regard, the artist's perspective remained ambiguous; frequently, the master's sympathies were represented in extremely disparate works.

In his painting "Allegory of War and Peace," he shows Mars, the god of battle, and a lovely half-naked girl, who represents peace. The artist refers to the narrative as having metaphorical elements, in which the concept of bravery, the triumph of duty, collides with human emotions - love and emotional bonds.

 " Allegory of War and Peace " 1776, By Artist Pompeo Girolamo Batoni, Oil on canvas. 136 x 99 cm Art Institute of Chicago