The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Allegory of Carnal Love

Allegory of Carnal Love

c. 1530
(Italian, 1462–1534)
Italy, 20th century
engraving
Image: 29.7 x 27.8 cm (11 11/16 x 10 15/16 in.); Sheet: 29.7 x 27.8 cm (11 11/16 x 10 15/16 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1923.744
Catalogue raisonné: Hind I.205.29
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Robetta worked in a manner of engraving known as the fine manner, characterized by its extremely fine lines combined with crosshatching and dots.

Description

This enigmatic group of figures is most likely an allegory (a representation of an abstract idea) centered on human love. The winged Cupid lashes a man’s arm to a tree, while a long sash binds together two couples who hungrily touch one another. A figure of ambiguous sex at left holds the end of the sash. The print may be related to Neoplatonic love treatises in Florence. One such treatise argued that the sense of touch operates between sensual and spiritual realms, an idea
embodied by Hermaphroditus, an intersex figure described in Greek myth. A direct connection remains elusive.
  • ?–?
    (Frederick Keppel & Co., Inc., New York, NY), sold to The Print Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
    ?–1923
    The Print Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    October 22, 1923–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Love Gardens / Forbidden Fruit. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 2-October 29, 2023).
    Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).
    Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 117): October 7, 2013 - January 21, 2014.
    Early Italian Engraving: 1460's - 1530's. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 25-October 27, 2002).
    Florence and the Arts: Five Centuries of Patronage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 13-September 19, 1971).
    The Print Club of Cleveland, 1919 - 1969: Fifty Years in Review. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (January 14-March 31, 1970).
    Old Master Prints and Drawings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 29, 1966-February 28, 1967).
    40th Anniversary Exhibition of the Print Club of Cleveland. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (December 3, 1959-January 20, 1960).
    The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).
    Italian and German Prints of the 15th Century. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29, 1933-January 3, 1934).
    Miscellaneous Prints and Drawings from the Museum Collections. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (June 23-October 23, 1924).
  • {{cite web|title=Allegory of Carnal Love|url=false|author=Cristofano Robetta|year=c. 1530|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1923.744