The Triumph of Chastity on Love, from the Triumphs of Petrarch
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 9/16 × 8 1/8 in. (14.1 × 20.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.16-71
Tags
Art Historical Context
Georg Pencz's *The Triumph of Chastity Love*, part of the *Triumphs of Petrarch* series, captures a pivotal allegorical moment from the 14th-century Italian poet Francescoarch's visionary poem *I Trionfi*. In this Renaissance engraving, Chastity triumphs over the vanquished god of Love, depicted in a grand chariot procession—a motif inspired by ancient Roman victory parades. Tags hint at a lively scene with men and women, majestic chariots, and symbolic unicorns, emblems of purity that reinforce Chastity's moral victory. As one of the Nuremberg Little Masters, Pencz excelled in intricate smal...
About the Artist
Georg Pencz · 1490–1550
Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits