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French, 'An Allegory', 19th century

About the work

Overview

It has been suggested that this picture shows Attila driving Beauty, Art and Pleasure before him. Attila, who is often known as Attila the Hun, was ruler of the Huns, a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe between the fourth and sixth centuries AD.

The painting was formerly attributed to the French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), in part because of the mural Attila Tramples Italy and the Arts he painted in the half-dome of the Library of the Chamber of Deputies at the Palais Bourbon, Paris, in which Attila represents philistinism. However, it has a false signature by Delacroix, and is not now thought to be by him.

The picture was severely damaged in a flood at the Tate Gallery in 1928, and much of it is covered by paper to hold the paint in place. Black-and-white photographs taken before the flood damage provide a record of the original composition.

Key facts

Details

Full title
An Allegory
Artist
French
Date made
19th century
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
177 × 137 cm
Acquisition credit
Presented by Frédéric Mélé, 1908
Inventory number
NG2289
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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