Dosso Dossi, Allegory of Fortuna - 1530s by Atelier Liesjes

About "Dosso Dossi, Allegory of Fortuna - 1530s"

by Atelier Liesjes

About the artwork

Fortuna was the Roman goddess of chance or fate, both good fortune and bad luck. People speak of Fortuna bona and Fortuna mala because it is a fickle goddess who particularly embodies the unexpected and the unforeseen in human existence.

Dosso is known for dealing with complex allegorical subjects, which are full of symbolism. Although no interpretation of the painting's subject has yet been established, Dosso's message seems to be that prosperity in life is transitory and depends on luck. The naked woman represents Fortune, or lady luck. She holds a horn of plenty and flaunts the bounty it could bring, but sits on a bubble to show that her favors are often fleeting and can disappear in an instant. The wavy drapery is a reminder that she is changeable like the wind. Her single shoe symbolizes her ability to bestow not only fortune but also misfortune. The man on the left personifies Chance. He faces Fortune and holds up a stack of lottery tickets, which he is about to place in a golden urn, an allusion to the civic lotteries that had just become popular in Italy. The tickets may also refer to the painting's presumed patroness, Isabella d'Este, Marchioness of Mantua (1474 - 1539). One of her emblems was a bundle of lots, indicating her personal experience of fluctuating fortune.

Here she sits as a woman, naked with a topless man. As a result, the chest, arms and legs of both are exposed in the portrait. Further canvases and props in gold and red.

All in all, a sexy and sensual erotic picture with romance.

Dosso Dossi (Ferrara, circa 1479 - 1542) was an Italian painter. His real name was Giovanni di Niccolò de Luteri. He came from the Ferrarese school. His works belong to High Renaissance painting.