Allegory of Charity
Francesco de Mura·c. 1743–44
Historical Context
Francesco de Mura's Allegory of Charity from around 1743-44 represents the elegant Neapolitan Rococo style that de Mura developed as the most important successor to Francesco Solimena in Naples. De Mura's light, luminous palette and graceful figure drawing brought a Rococo sensibility to the Neapolitan painting tradition. His decorative compositions adorned churches and palaces throughout southern Italy and beyond.
Technical Analysis
De Mura's oil-on-canvas technique features the light, luminous palette and flowing brushwork of the Neapolitan Rococo. The graceful figures and airy composition demonstrate his evolution from Solimena's darker Baroque manner toward the lighter, more elegant Rococo aesthetic.
Provenance
Probably commissioned by Charles Emmanuel III, Turin [see Pinto 1987]. Peretti, Rome, by 1971 [according to Heim Commission Book at the Getty Research Institute]; Heim Gallery, London, 1971; sold to the Art Institute, 1971.
