The Age of Bronze

Rich in colour and imposing in scale, this allegorical painting is a direct copy of Pietro da Cortona’s (1596-1669) original fresco in the so-called 'Camera della Stufa' (or ‘the Stove Room’) in the Pitti Palace, Florence. Commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinand II de Medici (1610-70), Da Cortona was tasked with decorating the space with the ‘Four Ages of Man’ – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron – drawing on the ancient poet Ovid’s interpretation of the historical ages of human existence in Greek mythology. Here, the ‘Age of Bronze’ shows the harsh reality of war through the contrasting concepts of triumph and defeat. To set the scene, Da Cortona uses a palette of suitably metallic burnt orange tones, contrasted with cool, silvery blues. Dejected prisoners fill the foreground, chained together – their richly coloured robes blending with the spoils of glinting treasure and armour that are piled around them. A group of senators discuss strategy in the temple behind, while a triumphant Roman general, elevated on a raised platform and swathed in a ’bronze’ robe, hands down a coronet to reward his soldiers. Banners and standards hint at the troops gathered at the rear.

Pietro da Cortona was a highly regarded Italian Baroque artist and architect, based in Rome. His skills at storytelling on a grand scale are evident here, with blocks of contrasting colours and a dynamic, vertical composition helping the viewer to navigate the scene in its raised setting. While other Baroque artists in Rome often included only a few characters in their allegorical paintings, Da Cortona used a larger cast of figures to better convey his concept. The carefully arranged protagonists are supported by the suggestions of throngs of soldiers and mass celebrations in the background, creating a stark contrast with the lonely prisoners isolated in the foreground.