Who created "Allegory of America, from the Four Continents"?

Allegory of America, from the Four Continents was created by Godfried Maes in 17th century.

When was "Allegory of America, from the Four Continents" created?

This artwork was created 17th century.

What medium is "Allegory of America, from the Four Continents"?

Allegory of America, from the Four Continents is Pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash, over black chalk.

Is "Allegory of America, from the Four Continents" in the public domain?

Yes, Allegory of America, from the Four Continents is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

Allegory of America, from the Four Continents

Godfried Maes

17th century

Medium

Pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash, over black chalk

Dimensions

sheet: 10 1/2 x 8 3/16in. (26.7 x 20.8cm)

Classification

Drawings

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of the Estate of James Hazen Hyde, 1959

Accession Number

1974.201

Tags

Bow and ArrowMenParrotsCrocodilesLizards

Art Historical Context

This delicate drawing by Flemish artist Godfried Maes forms part of a series personifying the Four Continents, a popular theme in seventeenth-century European art. Created with pen and gray ink, brush and gray wash over black chalk, the sheet captures America as a dynamic figure surrounded by indigenous attributes—men armed with bows and arrows, vibrant parrots, reptiles such as crocodiles lizards. These elements reflect Europe’s growing fascination with the Americas following exploration and colonization transforming distant lands into emblems of exotic abundance and untamed nature. Maes’s f...

About the Artist

Godfried Maes · 1649–1700

Comment on works: History; Portraits

Allegory of America, from the Four Continents

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