When was The Allegory of Good and Bad Government painted?
Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted The Allegory of Good and Bad Government between February 1338 and May 1339. The cycle is located in the Sala dei Nove of Siena's Palazzo Pubblico.
Questions about The Allegory of Good and Bad Government
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where is The Allegory of Good and Bad Government located?
The fresco cycle hangs in the Sala dei Nove, or Salon of Nine, inside the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, Italy. This room served as the council hall for the nine executive magistrates of the Republic of Siena.
Who painted The Allegory of Good and Bad Government?
Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted the cycle and signed it in Latin: Ambrosius Laurentii De Senis Hic Pinxit Utrinque. It is considered his undisputed masterpiece.
How many scenes are in The Allegory of Good and Bad Government?
The cycle consists of six scenes spread across three fresco panels covering three of the four walls of the Sala dei Nove. The scenes depict the Allegory of Good Government, the Allegory of Bad Government, the Effects of Good Government in the City, the Effects of Good Government in the Country, the Effects of Bad Government in the City, and the Effects of Bad Government in the Country.
Who commissioned The Allegory of Good and Bad Government?
The Council of Nine, the civic body that served as Siena's city council, commissioned the cycle. The paintings were interpreted as a reminder to those nine magistrates of how much was at stake in their decisions.
What does the figure of Tyranny look like in The Allegory of Bad Government?
Tyranny, identified in the fresco as Tyrammides, is depicted with horns and fangs, appears cross-eyed, and sits enthroned with his feet resting on a goat symbolizing luxury while holding a dagger. Justice lies bound beneath him, flanked by figures of Cruelty, Deceit, Fraud, Fury, Division, and War.