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Notes

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Time, the winged figure holding an hourglass, orders his companion Old Age to disfigure the face of a young woman, the personification of Beauty. This interaction encourages us to consider the brevity of youth and the inevitable passing of time.Batoni often drew from a live model when preparing his paintings: perhaps the aged face of the balding and bearded Time, and the wrinkled complexion and leathery, tanned skin of Old Age were inspired by the models who sat to him. Equally, though, the classical art that surrounded Batoni in Rome was a major influence on his work: here, both Time and Beauty's poses are based on classical statues. Time's wings seem to emulate the soft texture of feathers as well as the hard stone of a sculpture.This work and its companion piece An Allegory of Lasciviousness (State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg) were commissioned by Bartolomeo Talenti, one of several noblemen from Lucca who supported Batoni's early career during the early 1740s.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Time orders Old Age to destroy Beauty

Date

1746

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 135.3 x W 96.5 cm

Accession number

NG6316

Acquisition method

Bought, 1961

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Pompeo Batoni

1708–1787

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