Giovanni Antonio Fasolo

Long Island Wine & Spirit Merchants, Jericho, NY;

From whom acquired by the present collector.

This grand allegorical scene by the sixteenth-century Vicentine painter Giovanni Antonio Fasolo represents a significant and previously undocumented addition to his oeuvre. A pupil of Paolo Veronese, Fasolo populates the composition with elegant figures whose facial types, poses, and classically-inspired garments bear striking similarities with those found in his fresco cycles at the Villa Da Porto Colleone in Thiene, the Villa Caldogno in Caldogno, and the Villa Sesso Schiavo in Sandrigo. These visual parallels suggest a date of execution in the 1560s. Allegory of Time, Wealth, and War offers fresh insights into Fasolo's engagement with allegorical themes and contributes to a fuller understanding of his artistic range and ambition.

As yet, the painting's precise meaning remains elusive. An armored man—perhaps the patron, whose distinct features suggest this may be a portrait—occupies the composition's focal point and probably serves as an Allegory of Good Government. His commanding presence, gilded shield featuring a Parmigianesque female portrait (perhaps an effigy of a deceased wife), and lavish costume underscore his martial and political authority. To his left, a woman, likely an Allegory of Wealth, holds a ceramic vessel overflowing with gold coins. At the bottom of the composition lies winged Saturn, supine, subdued, and holding a bridle adorned with bells in his outstretched hand; as an Allegory of Time, his submissive pose suggests that the protagonist's legacy will endure. To the right, four elegant women appear to embody the prosperity and abundance that accompany peace, underscoring the image's emphasis on the effects of good government.

We are grateful to Professor Mattia Vinco for first proposing the attribution to Giovanni Antonio Fasolo.