Piero Cosimo, "A Hunting Scene", Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Speranza



Made for Francesco del Pugliese.

Although the painting, with the scenes of primitive life, correspond with certain passages of Ovidio (cfr. Metamorphoses XII), the interpretation offered by Panofsky is much more convincing.

Panofsky proposes that the painting symbolises the grown of civilisation through the control fo fire.

The theme was derived from the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvio (De Architectura II, 1), transmitted to the Renaissance through Boccaccio (Genealogie deorum, XII).

The scene, represting a forest fire, illustrates the age before Volcano, when man's knowledge was primitive and forest fires raged unchecked.

In "The Return from the Hunt" may be seen an advance in culture.

Man has partically controlled the violence of fire and has learned to build rude boats.

In the same series, the painter shows the arrival of Volcano on the isle of Lemnos, and Volcano teaching mankind the arts and crafts.

The last scene in the cycle represents the construction of an elaborate building in marble, with various craftsmen and sculptors, thus symbolising civilisation reaching its full maturity.

The style indicates a date about 1505.

This was a gift of Robert Gordon in 1871.