Emilian School, 18th century, Allegories of Geometry and Poetry

Emilian school, 18th century

Allegories of Geometry and Poetry

(2) Oil on panel, 65 x 89 cm

The two panels, attributed to the 18th-century Emilian school, display a style typical of the period, characterized by dynamic compositions, opulent female figures, and a lighting that enhances the rich draperies and soft flesh tones of the cherubs. They are likely fragments of larger decorations, perhaps from a frescoed vault or an altarpiece, given their irregular shape and the depiction of figures suspended among the clouds. The central female figures are allegorical representations, as was common in celebratory and decorative painting of the Baroque and Rococo periods.

The first depicts an Allegory of Geometry, or more generally, of the Mathematical Sciences, solemnly presented on her throne of clouds, surrounded by cherubs. Her most distinctive feature is the large L-shaped square the woman holds in her left hand, resting on her lap. In her right, she elegantly holds a compass, a recurring symbol of the Liberal Arts, linked to measurement and order, such as Astronomy and Geometry itself. The cherub in the left foreground holds an unrolled scroll, on which no markings are visible, but which suggests the presence of calculations, drawings, or formulas.

The second panel, however, depicts the Allegory of Poetry or History: in this case, the woman, unlike the other, is endowed with large white wings, which help identify her as a celestial creature or a personification linked to Inspiration, Genius, or Fame. On her head she wears a laurel wreath, a universal symbol of glory, honor, and, specifically, of Poetry and intellectual victory. In her right hand, she holds a quill pen, while around her neck she wears a medallion with a mask, which could symbolize History, which recalls the past, or the Theater. The cherubs surrounding her, in fact, reinforce the allegorical interpretation, immortalized holding an open book, a symbol of knowledge and intellectual disciplines, and playing a trumpet, the principal attribute of Fame, whose task is to disseminate and celebrate written works.

Both panels are characterized by vivid colors, with a predilection for reds, yellows, and iridescent blues, and by soft, descriptive brushstrokes on the draperies. The ethereal composition, with the figures occupying a corner of the sky, reflects the influence of Bolognese Classicism, such as the Carracci or Guido Reni, filtered through the more decorative and lighthearted taste of eighteenth-century Emilia, which tended toward an almost Rococo elegance while maintaining a certain structural solidity in the figures.

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