The triumph of painting on Mount Parnassus, ca. 1642

Blatt: 393 x 703 mm

Physical Description: Pen in two different shades of brown over black chalk, traces of red chalk

Inventory Number: 4405

Object Number: 4405 Z

Status: On display, Department of Prints and Drawings Exhibition Gallery

Texts

About the Work

Testa carried out this work as a preparatory drawing for a large-scale etching that mirrors his fondness for art-theoretical subjects. The accompanying inscriptions help us understand the complex depiction. At the centre is a symbolic representation of painting on a chariot drawn by two horses. It leaves human vices and passions (at the right) behind and is welcomed by the nine muses (left) at the foot of Mount Parnassus—home of the god Apollo and a symbol of art.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: The triumph of painting on Mount Parnassus

Draughtsman

Pietro Testa

Period Produced

17th century

School

Baroque

Object Type

drawing

Physical Description: Pen in two different shades of brown over black chalk, traces of red chalk

Material

Technique

Geographic Reference

Upper Italian

Production Reason

Label at the Time of Manufacture: Beschriftet unten links der Mitte (mit der Feder in Braun, von eigener Hand): PTL (ligiert), darunter der Buchstabe P Rücken an Rücken für „Pittura é Poesia“, rechts davon: quando la Pittura s’unisce con la Poesia è degna del / Parnaso cioè del immortalità [durchgestrichen], unten rechts: Affetti Humani, auf den beiden Pferden links: Biancho, und: e nero / per il chiaro-obscuro, als Bezeichnungen der dargestellten Personen: Gratie, invidia, timore, crudeltà, paura, furore, ardire, asinaggine, maraviglia, allegrezza, affanno