National Gallery London ( Inventory no.NG6316, Main collection)- Currently not on public display.
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter mostly famous for his work in portraits. However, interestingly, he created this artwork, which is a masterpiece of his artistic skill and also a masterpiece in the use of visual art to present such a strong message that it can really pull an individual and engage them in deep thought. This magnificent oil-on-canvas painting, created in 1746, depicts the presence of three figures, believed to be identified as Time, Old Age, and Beauty. Batoni has personified these ideas into visually stunning beings. There is Time, who can be identified right away from the hourglass he is holding. There is Old Age, depicted as a woman with wrinkled skin and an old age appearance. And there is Beauty, portrayed as a young, radiant woman who simply tries to avoid the touch of old age.
The main message of this painting is that Time is always a companion of Old Age, and Beauty will inevitably fade away. It shows how Time is instructing his companion beside him, Old Age, to destroy the beauty of the young and beautiful woman. The interaction between these three figures forces us to think about the reality of time and how no one, even someone who holds immense beauty, can escape the touch of time, which results in old age and the loss of youth.
What makes the painting even more compelling is how deeply Batoni painted it as an inspiration that he has drawn from the art and artistic style that was surronding him. He has painted the features of the human faces with such delicate details that shows the quality of being very human and realistic. At the same time, both Time's and Beauty's poses are rooted in classical sculpture, which Batoni had constant access to in Rome. Time's pose is said to reverse that of Paris in Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving of the Judgement of Paris, while Beauty's pose echoes François Duquesnoy's statue of Saint Susannah in the church of San Maria di Loreto. His style of adding observed human detail with classical form is the very definition of Batoni's style, and it is part of what makes this painting feel so alive and engaging.
The painting was commissioned by Bartolomeo Talenti who was a nobleman from Lucca .He was a great supporter of Batoni during the early phases of Batoni's career. This was initially meant as a pendant piece to An Allegory of Lasciviousness which is now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. However, today, it resides in the National Gallery, London.
Time Orders Old Age to Destroy Beauty by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni reflects the dramatic style of the Baroque period. The figures are rendered with anatomical accuracy and details of wrinkles. Batoni used chiaroscuro the strong contrast of light and shadow to emphasize the figures. The graceful pose of Beauty contrasts with the aged figures.
