Allegory

Allegory from 1510 by Palma Vecchio is a mythological or allegorical composition reflecting the Venetian taste for poetic, enigmatic subjects. Such allegories, influenced by Giorgione's mysterious paintings, were prized by Venetian collectors for their evocative beauty and ambiguous meaning. His works display the sensuous warmth, rich color, and idealized femininity characteristic of the mature Venetian Renaissance at its most hedonistic. His sacre conversazioni—Holy Family groups in Venetian landscape settings—were among the most commercially successful images in early 16th-century Venice, produced in multiple versions by his workshop to satisfy consistent demand.

The allegorical composition demonstrates Palma Vecchio's mastery of the Giorgionesque mode of mysterious, atmospheric painting with rich Venetian color.