An Allegory: Female Figure with a Compass, God the Father Seated on Clouds, and a Demon 1512 - 1597

"An Allegory: Female Figure with a Compass, God the Father Seated on Clouds, and a Demon" is a pen and brown wash drawing by Prospero Fontana from 1512-1597, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This drawing is an allegorical representation of the power of knowledge and reason over temptation and chaos. The central figure, a woman, holds a compass and carefully constructs geometric shapes, suggesting an understanding of the universe and its laws. Above her, God the Father, seated on clouds, watches over the scene, while a demon, perhaps representing temptation or doubt, reaches out from a cloud below. This small yet complex drawing showcases Fontana's skill in conveying a moral message through the symbolic language of art.