The Dance Of The Cupids, Francesco Albani (bologne 1578 - 1660) Copy From

Francesco Albani (1578 - 1660) Copy from
The Dance of the Cupids

Oil on panel

94 x 118 cm
in a fine gilded and carved wooden frame 101 x 123

Full details of the work (click HERE)

We see a festive dance of cherubs arranged in a circle around a tree, on which other cherubs play musical instruments, while in the foreground there are other objects, including bows and quivers, laid on the grass. In the background on the left, we see the scene of a woman being kidnapped and dragged onto a chariot: this is precisely the abduction of Proserpina by Pluto who, madly in love, took her with him to the underworld to make her his bride. On the right, among the clouds, Venus with a torch kisses Cupid, while below is the temple of Vesta, which still exists today in Rome, where the sacred fire was once kept.

The painting is an interesting antique replica of the masterpiece by Francesco Albani, entitled “Danza degli amorini” (Dance of the Cupids) and dating from around 1660, currently housed in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan (see image in the photographic details).

Known for his light and decorative representations of mythological and allegorical subjects, Francesco Albani is considered, together with Domenichino and Guido Reni, one of the leading exponents of Bolognese classicism and therefore extremely sought after by the cultured patrons of the time.

Thanks to a style characterised by idyllic compositions that appealed to the most intimate tastes of his patrons, works such as these have always enjoyed extraordinary critical and public acclaim, to the extent that they have been replicated many times.

The subject depicted was also in great demand in later periods due to its symbolic meaning of the triumph of Love: the painting is in fact an interesting allegory of marital union and must therefore have been commissioned within the Farnese family on the occasion of a wedding or a betrothal.

This is referred to by the cherubs who, having laid down the bows with which they make lovers fall in love, play happily because they have accomplished the mission assigned to them by Cupid: Pluto has fallen in love with Proserpina and kidnaps her as a sign of his uncontrollable love. Finally, Venus rewards Cupid with a grateful kiss, while the temple of Vesta, where the hearth is always lit, wishes for the love to last forever.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

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