Luigi Garzi (Rome, 1638 - Rome, 1721)
Allegory of Time discovering the Truth
Oil on canvas (91 x 140 cm. - In frame 107 x 155)
Work accompanied by expertise of Dr. Arabella Cifani
The theme of "Time that discovers the Truth" is a very widespread allegorical subject in European painting, especially between the Renaissance and Baroque, and finds its philosophical roots in the thought of Seneca who, in his treatise 'de Ira' writes about it: “Dandum semper est tempus: veritatem dies aperit” (we must always give ourselves time: time discovers the truth).
The philosopher suggests that truth and virtue always triumph, overcoming lies and appearances, inviting patience and not acting impulsively.
This subject also has a moral implication, it is in fact an allegory that celebrates justice that triumphs, innocence that is finally recognized, based on the idea that, despite efforts to hide it, the truth always emerges over time.
In the painting we see a young half-naked girl, Truth, sleeping in a shady corner, covered by a blue curtain, while on the left Time, a winged old man of mythological memory, is preparing to gently discover her and wake her up, with the scythe on his shoulder and the hourglass at his feet, emblem of the passing of moments in the world.
On the right, two cherubs burst in and one of them carries a torch with which he illuminates the truth that is coming back to light: essentially the painting exalts the theme of the Truth that always comes to light even if it has been covered or hidden for a long time.
The painting is full of classical references, starting with the figure of Truth which is clearly inspired by the famous Sleeping Ariadne of the Vatican museums while the two putti instead seem closer to the lively children who populate the vaults of Annibale Carracci's Farnese Gallery.
The work is clearly of Roman origin and is attributed to Luigi Garzi (Rome, 1638 - Rome, 1721), an important Italian Baroque painter and a leading figure in the artistic panorama in Rome between the 17th and 18th centuries
He initially trained in Pistoia and then moved to Rome, where he entered the workshop of Andrea Sacchi, who directed his style towards the classicism of Raphael, Domenichino and Nicolas Poussin; he was also strongly influenced by the Emilian examples, particularly favoring Giovani Lanfranco, who modeled his taste and style, together with a modulated Cortonianism, while the pre-eighteenth-century sensibilities are due to the lesson of Carlo Maratta.
However, there is no doubt that the painter oriented his personality without ever giving in to imitation, achieving a refined elegance and autonomy of language, as is well demonstrated by the canvas under study here in which many and varied influences find a refined amalgam in perfect harmony with the baroque evolution between the 17th and 18th centuries, recommending a late maturity dating.
His clear and calm painting language, at times whimsical and refined, the contained theatricality of his compositions, the ability to assimilate and rework in an original way figurative ideas of various origins, from the Emilian to the French, the enamelled colors, often in cold shades, made his fortune in Rome and in the territories of the Papal State.
Garzi's career took place almost entirely in Rome, marked by many successes and prestigious commissions, such as the frescoes of Palazzo Borghese and San Carlo al Corso up to the dome of the Cybo Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo,
The painting under study here presents many points of contact with works by Garzi. From the muscular male nude of Time which we find very similar in a drawing from the Accademia di San Luca, and another from the Berlin Museum, and to the woman's face which appears particularly close to that of the woman in the Pommersfelden canvas, Schloss Weißenstein.
Bibliography:
Luigi Garzi 1638-1721. Roman painter", edited by Francesco Grisolia and Guendalina Serafinelli, Milan, Officina Libraria, 2018, previous bibliography therein;
Principi, Patrizia, "Luigi Garzi inventor": invention and translation prints from the Central Institute for Graphics, in: History of art, New series 1/2 (2021), pp. 218-237.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The state of conservation is good with the presence of a joint between 2 canvases in the upper part.
The work is sold complete with a gilded wooden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.
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