Seated Figure of Justice, from Farnese Palace, after Annibale and Agostino Carracci
Medium
Etching; first state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 8 7/8 × 5 7/8 in. (22.5 × 15 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.15-74
Tags
Art Historical Context
This etching captures a seated allegorical figure of Justice, originally part of the celebrated fresco cycle that Annibale and Agostino Carracci created for the Farnese Palace in Rome around 1597–1604. The Carracci brothers, leading figures of the early Baroque, blended classical ideals with dynamic naturalism in their illusionistic ceiling decorations, transforming the gallery into a vibrant celebration of mythology and virtue. Here, Justice appears in profile, her dignified pose and flowing drapery reflecting the graceful, monumental style that made the Farnese frescoes a landmark of sevente...
About the Artist
Agostino Carracci|Jacques Belly|Annibale Carracci · 1557–1602
Agostino left his profession as a tailor to become an artist. His earliest works were engravings, which was an extremely profitable practice and he was famed for having attained new heights of perfection. He was also a skilled painter and collaborated with his famous relations on various commisions. Comment on works: Religious; Portraits.