An allegory of Peace; Peace personified as a woman standing in a landscape holding the left hand of a winged genius, tree at left 1512 - 1522

This is Marcantonio Raimondi’s "An Allegory of Peace," a print made around 1510-1520. Note how the composition arranges its figures: a woman representing Peace stands tall, almost monumental, and holds hands with a winged genius in a landscape. The texture of the engraving is visible, creating a nuanced play of light and shadow that models the forms. The tree to the left acts as a framing device, its branches echoing the upward movement and directing our gaze toward the figures. The lines of the engraving are precise, delineating forms with a clarity that speaks to Renaissance ideals of order and harmony. Yet, the subject matter—an allegory—introduces a layer of complexity. Peace, as personified, suggests a concern with the political and social orders of the time. Is this image a commentary on the need for concord, or perhaps an idealized vision in response to conflict? The composition is not merely an aesthetic arrangement but a deliberate construction of meaning.