1288 - Italian Baroque Master (active in the 18th century)

Italian Baroque Master (active in the 18th century) Allegory of Music Large-scale painting in landscape format. A scenic depiction showing, on the left, a young woman seated in profile, wearing a bright red dress and a blue cape, playing the harp; standing next to her on the right side of the painting is a putto with a transverse flute; both are looking at an open music book. A focal-point composition with figures prominently arranged in the foreground against a suggested landscape. The imposing large format, the style, and the conception of this artistically high-quality painting suggest that it was once commissioned to decorate a villa or a palazzo, presumably alongside other allegories of the arts. Oil on canvas, relined; framed. Provenance: According to information from the previous owner, acquired in 1993 at the Kunsthaus am Museum Carola van Ham in Cologne. Italian painter active in the 18th century. Oil on canvas, relined.