L'Histoire et le Temps
Luca Giordano·1680
Historical Context
History and Time in the Brest collection is an allegorical composition depicting the relationship between historical record and temporal passage. Such philosophical allegories were common in Baroque decorative programs and demonstrated painters' intellectual ambitions. Oil on canvas suited Giordano's rapid working method: he typically laid in compositions with fluid, transparent washes then built form with loaded brushwork, completing large canvases in days. His stylistic eclecticism — absorb...
Technical Analysis
The personified figures of History and Time create an allegorical dialogue rendered with Giordano's characteristic energy. The symbolic attributes and dynamic poses convey abstract concepts through physical form.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the personified figures of History and Time rendered with Giordano's characteristic energy: abstract concepts made concrete through specific human figures with attributes.
- ◆Look at the dynamic poses conveying abstract concepts: History's act of recording and Time's passage are given physical form through gesture and attribute.
- ◆Find the symbolic attributes that identify the allegorical figures — quill and scroll for History, scythe or hourglass for Time — making legible what would otherwise be merely human figures.
- ◆Observe that the Brest collection holds this and the Saint Luke painting — Giordano's works in French provincial collections reflect the broad distribution of his output across Europe during and after his lifetime.
