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Cristofano Robetta

An Allegory of Abundance

c. 1515
Engraving in black on cream laid paper
25.2 × 18.3 cm (9.9 × 7.2 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This engraving depicts a seated female figure holding a staff surmounted by an urn filled with flowers, fruit, and wheat, similar to the urn traditionally held by Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest. The child grasping the figure’s breast in a fertility gesture suggests an alternate identity, that of the earth goddess Tellus. Robetta rendered the rocky terrain with heavy clusters of undulating curves, a technique likely inspired by early-16th-century engravings by Albrecht Dürer. The cartelliño suspended from the tree originally held the artist’s signature, but this was scored through before an impression had been printed for some unknown reason.

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