Allegory of May 1470

Francesco del Cossa’s ‘Allegory of May’ was painted using tempera on plaster in the mid-15th century. Tempera is a traditional painting medium, where pigments are bound with egg yolk. Its quick-drying nature requires a deft hand, and encourages detailed, precise work. Del Cossa certainly has that, and the way he has layered the paint is very impressive. But while the technique may be traditional, the effect is anything but. The real interest lies in the characters depicted: they reflect the social values of the court of Ferrara, where Del Cossa was employed. They are very mannered, very stylized, even cartoonish. He really uses the material to create an almost hyper-real artificiality, reflecting the ideals of courtly life, and those who could pay for it. So, while this work may seem like a straightforward painting at first glance, it's really an insightful commentary on the relationship between labor, social status, and artistic production. It asks us to consider how art is always shaped by the context in which it's made, both in terms of its physical creation and its social meaning.