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The Age of bronze

Artist: CORTONA, Pietro da, (after)
Age of Bronze
Image: © Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Collection Area

Art

Item Number

NMW A 3884

Creation/Production

CORTONA, Pietro da, (after)
Role: Creation
Date:

Acquisition

Bequest, 25/2/1925

Location

In store

Categories

Paentiad | Painting Celf Gain | Fine Art To minimum standard only Hen Feistr | Old Master

Comments - (1)

Brian Armstrong
28 March 2013, 23:04
I have not previously seen images of this picture. Not to my knowledge one of the more common mythological subjects for painters, although one of Rodin's most iconic sculptures of his early career was in fact 'The Age of bronze' Interestingly, this in addition to St John the Baptist preaching, were the sculptures, which Rodin was quite outrageously accused of using plaster casts of a model to produce.

The subject is taken from the first chapter of Ovid's Metamorphosis, where he relates the creation of the universe and continues with the Four Ages of man, those being Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron, characterised by the decline from in the Golden period of innocence and abundance eventually to decadence and depravity in the Age of Iron. The narrative can be compared to the story of creation in Genesis.

Returning to Pietro da Cortona, his most flamboyant and arresting work can be seen in his Italian church decoration, one of the finest examples being in the Cheisa Nuova in Rome, where he decorated the dome, tribune and nave
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Age of Bronze
© Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales
  • Age of Bronze