Image

A brown ink and wash depicting three female allegories. From left to right: Charity breastfeeding an infant, Justice holding a sword, and Prudence pointing to a mirror.

Elisabetta Sirani

Study for Allegory of Justice, Charity, and Prudence

Description

Maker

Elisabetta Sirani (Italian, 1638-1665)

Title

Study for Allegory of Justice, Charity, and Prudence

Year

ca. 1664

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

Sheet: 13.5 x 18.7 cm (5 5/16 x 7 3/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Esther Mauran Acquisitions Fund

Object Number

2018.101

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer
Four Hundred Years of Drawing from the RISD Museum
Mar 12, 2022 – Sep 04, 2022

Label copy

In this preparatory drawing three allegorical figures sit with their attributes, bathed in a strong light pouring in from the upper left. The drawing is remarkable because it was executed almost entirely with a brush dipped in ink, boldly doing away with contours and line work. During her short life, Elisabetta Sirani was one of the most celebrated artists in Bologna. Her drawings, often executed solely in wash, show her innovative, painterly approach to the medium.

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Elisabetta Sirani (Italian, 1638-1665)
Study for Allegory of Justice, Charity, and Prudence, ca. 1664
Brush and wash over traces of red chalk on laid paper
Sheet: 13.5 x 18.7 cm (5 5/16 x 7 3/8 inches)
Esther Mauran Acquisitions Fund 2018.101

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