Allegorical Figure Holding a Sphere — Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520–1582) | DiscoverArt

Allegorical Figure Holding a Sphere

mid 1560s

engraving

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In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · as of August 2026

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FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

Giorgio Ghisi (Italian, 1520/21-1582) Allegorical Figure Holding a Sphere (after Giulio Romano?), mid-1560s Engraving Dudley P. Allen Fund 1972.149 Scholars disagree about the identity of this allegorical personification. She has been variously described as Victory, Fortune, Temperance, and the Primum Mobile (Prime Mover), believed to be a force that generated celestial motion.

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