Allegory of Chastity
Lorenzo Lotto·c. 1505
Historical Context
Lotto's Allegory of Chastity from around 1505 is an early allegorical panel whose complex symbolic program — a seated figure within a landscape surrounded by objects symbolizing chastity's triumph over carnal desire — reflected the humanist culture of his early patrons. Lotto's early career was marked by commissions from humanist collectors who wanted allegorical paintings embodying learned symbolic programs rather than straightforward devotional subjects. The Allegory of Chastity's program drew on emblem book tradition, Petrarchan poetry, and classical mythology in the synthetic manner that humanist patrons expected — paintings that rewarded learned interpretation alongside visual pleasure.
Technical Analysis
Lotto's oil on panel shows his early style with bright, clear color, precise drawing, and the careful rendering of symbolic details that create a richly layered allegorical image.
Provenance
Castelbarco collection, Milan; (Anonymous dealer, Milan); sold 1887 as Hans Rottenhammer to Sir William Martin Conway [1856-1937], Allington Castle, Kent, England; (Count Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, Florence and Rome); sold 4 October 1934 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[1] gift 1939 to NGA. [1] The bill of sale was for three paintings (copy in NGA curatorial files). See also The Kress Collection Digital Archive, https://kress.nga.gov/Detail/objects/191.
