Design for Panel: Allegory of Europe, from the Four Continents 1650 - 1679

Giacomo Barri made this pen and ink wash drawing, Allegory of Europe, in Italy around 1650 as a design for a panel. Here, Europe is a queen, attended by cherubs, enthroned above a cornucopia and white stallion. In the 17th century, Europe’s self-image was associated with the continent’s expanding colonial ambitions. Allegories of the four continents, as in this series, represented Europe as the superior world power, blessed by God, overflowing with resources, and master of a powerful military. These visual codes were tied to an emerging sense of nationalism, reflecting the continent's political landscape, riven by competing empires and the power of the Catholic Church. The iconography would have been clear to Barri’s patrons. The art historian’s role is to trace the ways artistic choices reflect and reinforce cultural values, using historical archives to examine the social forces at play in the art world. This drawing is most meaningful when understood within its historical context.