Allegory of Charity
c. 1743–44
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
139.5 × 134.6 cm (54 15/16 × 53 in.); Framed: 159.4 × 159.4 cm (62 3/4 × 62 3/4 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36492
Art Historical Context
Francesco de Mura's *Allegory of Charity painted around 1743–44, is a luminous oil-on-canvas masterpiece from the Neapolitan Roc tradition. Measuring nearly 55 by 53 inches, this work captures the virtue of Charity—typically symbolized by a maternal figure nurturing children or distributing alms—in a swirl of elegant forms and soft, glowing colors. De Mura (1696–1782), a leading painter in 18th-century Naples, inspiration from masters like Luca Giordano, blending dramatic Baroque energy with Rococo's playful grace. The oil medium allowed de Mura to achieve velvety textures and radiant light e...