Allegory of the Planets and Continents

Allegory of the Planets and Continents is a 1752 painting by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.[1] Done in oil on canvas, the allegorical work uses human figures to represent members of the Greco-Roman pantheon, the planets, and four continents. The painting is an elaborate oil sketch made by Tiepolo in preparation for rendering a similar, larger version of his scene a massive fresco.[1][2] Between December 1750 and November 1753, Tiepolo was commissioned to decorate the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg Karl Philipp von Greifenclau zu Vollraths newly constructed palace on the ceiling of a staircase he created a massive fresco of over 600 m², it is considered the largest fresco in the world and is often considered his greatest achievement. The oil on canvas is an earlier version of his work.[1][3] The intricate painting depicts figures circling around Tiepolo's rendering of Apollo, the sun god; this represents planets orbiting the Sun. The cornice of the painting symbolize the continents Europe, America, Africa, and Asia.[1]

Allegory of the Planets and Continents
ArtistGiovanni Battista Tiepolo
Year1752
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions185.4 cm × 139.4 cm (73.0 in × 54.9 in)
LocationMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York



References
  1. "metmuseum.org". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
  2. Edward T. Evans. The History and Topography of the Parish of Hendon, Middlesex. London, 1890, pp. 239–40
  3. Watson, F. J. B. "Giovanni Battista Tiepolo: A Masterpiece and a Book." Connoisseur 136
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