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This huge oval-shaped painting, which is about 3 metres long, was commissioned to decorate a ceiling in a palazzo belonging to the Contarini family. The scale of the figures and the sense that they are above us hint at the intended destination: this work was made to be seen from below, and at a great distance.The imagery suggests it was made to celebrate a new heir. Venus, the goddess of love and fertility, gestures lovingly towards an infant, who is held by a winged figure -- a personification of Time, who has here laid aside his scythe. The act symbolises immortality, although the hourglass at his waist suggests the inevitable passing of time. In the clouds above, the Three Graces bless the child by scattering flowers.Tiepolo's characteristic loose handling of paint can be seen in Time's feathery wings, and his delicate colouring in Venus' pale flesh and striking pink drapery, in contrast with Time's brown skin and brilliant blue loincloth.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

An Allegory with Venus and Time

Date

about 1754-8

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 292 x W 190.4 cm

Accession number

NG6387

Acquisition method

Bought with a special grant and a contribution from The Pilgrim Trust, 1969

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

1696–1770

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