The Three Ages of Humans

The Three Ages of Humans

The Three Ages of Humans

Artist:Dosso Dossi (Giovanni de Lutero) (Italian, Tramuschio ca. 1486–1541/42 Ferrara)
Medium:Oil on canvas
Dimensions:30 1/2 x 44 in. (77.5 x 111.8 cm)
Classification:Paintings
Credit Line:Maria DeWitt Jesup Fund, 1926

The three ages of humankind are represented by two boys peeping behind a bush, by two lovers, and by two old men. But the primary subject is a pastoral landscape (indeed, the old men were a second thought). Landscape was a genre inspired by classical literature and intended above all to delight the eye. Dosso’s wit, much prized at the court of Ferrara, is seen in the detail of the goats that appear to spy on the young lovers.

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