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Allegory of Life, 1561. Creator: Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520-1582)
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Allegory of Life, 1561. Creator: Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520-1582)
Allegory of Life, 1561. Two figures appear here in contrasting landscapes. On the left, an old man stands at the edge of a turbulent body of water before dense woods and jagged peaks enveloped in rainy darkness. A ship has wrecked, and a variety of sea creatures and other real and mythical beasts turn their attention toward him. He reaches out to the voluptuous, crowned woman on the right, who strides forward from a verdant grove. Three putti fly above her, one of whom prepares to shoot an arrow at the old man. In the distance the rising sun illuminates a small village. The complete meaning of this complex allegory remains unclear, though the plaques at the feet of the man and woman may provide an important clue. The Latin inscriptions come from the sixth book of Virgils epic poem The Aeneid (29-19 BC): " He who sits unfortunate will sit forever, " and " Do not yield to adversities, but go out to meet them bravely." The prints details do not correspond directly to any episode from Virgil, but book six, in which Aeneas descends into the underworld, is an allegory of human life. A similar theme could be suggested here, communicating an essentially hopeful message of overcoming misfortune
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Media ID 19621021
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This print titled "Allegory of Life, 1561" by Giorgio Ghisi takes us on a visual journey through contrasting landscapes and symbolic figures. On the left side, we see an elderly man standing at the edge of a tumultuous body of water surrounded by dark woods and jagged peaks. The wreckage of a ship lies nearby, capturing the attention of various sea creatures and mythical beasts. In contrast, on the right side stands a crowned woman emerging from a lush grove with three putti flying above her. The old man reaches out towards the woman as she confidently strides forward. One of the putti prepares to shoot an arrow at him while in the distance, a rising sun illuminates a small village. The Latin inscriptions at their feet provide important clues to unraveling this complex allegory: "He who sits unfortunate will sit forever" and "Do not yield to adversities but go out to meet them bravely". Although there is no direct correlation between these details and any specific episode from Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid, book six - which depicts Aeneas' descent into the underworld - serves as an allegory for human life. This suggests that this artwork conveys an essentially hopeful message about overcoming misfortune. Through its intricate symbolism and mysterious narrative, Ghisi's masterpiece invites viewers to contemplate life's challenges while encouraging resilience in facing adversity.
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