Allegory of Painting
c. 1775/1776
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
123 × 85 mm (trimmed within platemark)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
2021.66.1
Art Historical Context
In the National Gallery of Art's Print Department, Giovanni David's *Allegory of Painting* (c. 1775/1776) captivates with its intimate scale—measuring just 123 × 85 mm—and delicate etching on laid paper. This small yet evocative work, acquired through the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, personifies the art of painting through symbolic imagery, a longstanding tradition in European art that honors the muse-like essence of creation. David's etching invites viewers into the late 18th-century fascination with the liberal arts, evoking the elegance of the Enlightenment era. Etching, David's chosen medium,...
About the Artist
Giovanni David · 1749–1790
Giovanni David (1743–1790) was a Genoese painter and etcher whose brief career, shaped by distinguished patronage and wide-ranging travel, produced a body of work remarkable for its experimental verve. Born in Genoa, he came under the protection of Count Giacomo Durazzo, a cultivated Genoese nobleman and diplomat who became the defining figure of his artistic life. Durazzo sponsored David's traini...