Step by Step
1
What allegory is
An allegory represents an abstract concept as a personified figure, identifiable through specific attributes — much like the saints and gods covered in earlier lessons, but representing ideas rather than specific historical or mythological individuals.
2
Justice and Fortune
Justice is identified by scales (representing balance), a sword (representing punishment), and a blindfold (representing impartiality). Fortune (Fortuna) is identified by a wheel (representing unpredictable turning), sometimes shown balanced on a ball to represent instability.
3
Time, Death, and Fame
Time (Father Time, or Kronos) is identified by a scythe, hourglass, and wings. Death is identified by a skeleton and scythe. Fame (Fama) is identified by a trumpet and wings.
4
Truth, Prudence, and other virtues
Truth is identified by a mirror, the sun, and nakedness (since truth has nothing to hide). Prudence is identified by a three-headed figure representing past/present/future, along with a mirror and serpent. Abundance is identified by a cornucopia, and Peace by a dove and olive branch. Vanquished vices are often shown personified as defeated enemies at the feet of virtues. Rubens, Titian, and Tiepolo created particularly complex allegorical ceiling paintings for courtly patrons. The key principle: identify allegories by their attributes, not by facial features.
Applied Walkthrough
1
A blindfolded female figure holding scales and a sword represents Justice — her blindfold signaling impartiality, her scales balance, and her sword the power of punishment, none of which require recognizing a specific individual's face.
2
Nearby, a figure balanced precariously on a turning wheel or ball would represent Fortune, her instability and unpredictability made visually explicit through this single central attribute.
3
A winged figure carrying a scythe and hourglass represents Time itself, while a similar winged figure carrying a trumpet instead represents Fame — the specific combination of attributes, not any facial resemblance, is what distinguishes one personified abstraction from another.
4
In the most ambitious courtly ceiling paintings by artists like Rubens or Tiepolo, an entire hierarchy of such personified virtues might appear together, often shown triumphing over personified vices defeated and cast down at their feet — an elaborate visual argument about moral order made entirely through this system of attribute-based personification.
Exam Application
Exams test whether you can identify allegorical figures (Justice, Fortune, Time, Death, Fame, Truth, Prudence) by their specific attributes, and whether you understand that allegory represents abstract concepts through personification and attribute, not through facial resemblance to any real individual.
⚠ Common Trap
The most common trap is trying to identify allegorical figures by facial features or specific individual likeness — allegorical figures are identified entirely through their attributes (scales for Justice, a wheel for Fortune, a scythe for Time), since they represent abstract concepts rather than specific historical people.
✓ Quick Self-Check
1. What attributes identify Justice?
Scales (balance), a sword (punishment), and a blindfold (impartiality).
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2. What attribute identifies Fortune, and what does it represent?
A wheel, representing unpredictable turning (sometimes shown on a ball, representing instability).
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3. What attributes identify Time (Father Time)?
A scythe, hourglass, and wings.
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4. What attributes identify Truth, and why?
A mirror, the sun, and nakedness — since truth has nothing to hide.
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5. How should allegorical figures generally be identified?
By their attributes, not by facial features or individual likeness.
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