THE Art Institute of Chicago recently acquired Pompeo Batoni's Peace and War, an allegorical work completed in 1776 (Fig. 10). Although Bato

ni is now best known for his portraits of Grand Tourists in Rome, during his lifetime (1708 87) his mythological or historical paintings and

allegories were highly appreciated by lite collectors through much of Europe. Peace and War, created when Batoni was at the summit of his a

rtistic power and reputation, was described by contemporary critics as one of the artist's most successful works. Before its reappearance on

the Paris art market in 1996, the whereabouts of Peace and War was unknown. However, it was described at some length by no fewer than three

contemporary sources. On 28th September 1776 Father John Thorpe, a priest who advised British collectors on the Roman art scene, wrote to L

ord Arundell (whose agent in Rome he was): [Pompeo] has finished his picture of two figures representing Peace and War, it is surely a maste

rpiece, [and] shows powers perhaps superior to any master who ever painted at his time of life: it has all the perfection and brilliancy of

his best and favourite performances. War is represented in the character of Mars in armour, with his helmet on, [and] sword drawn rushing to

battle. Peace is figured as a most amiable young female with all the charms of beauty and modesty who (restrain]ing Mars with one hand gent

ly presses back his sword hand, while with the other she sweetly offers him her olive branch. The painter is supposed to have made this pict

ure to stand in competition with whatever Mr. Mengs who is soon expected from Madrid can produce. [It) is certainly an admirable piece, into

which Pompeo has plentifully thrown in all the excellence of his art with a singular beauty of colouring, It was not painted by commission,

nor will the painter part with it unless tempted by a very high recompence. He intends to make a companion for it, thus, War by the persuas

ion of Peace, sheathing his sword smiles upon the Arts presented to him by Peace. I do not know whether Pompeo intended it, but he has made

a pretty allegory in raising the shield of War over the head of Peace, while she is stopping his sword. On the very same day, J.G. Puhlmann,

a German assistant in Batoni's studio, wrote to his parents that he had brought several people there, in order to view the picture that he

[Batoni] has now finished, which presents War as a young hero who is held back by Peace, an attractive young maiden. One of the most beautif

ul things that [Batoni] has ever made ... In his Elogio of Batoni after the artist's death in 1787, Onofirio Boni devoted an unusual amount

of space to this picture: The painting called Peace and War, with figures that end just above the knee, was equally reputed to be one of the

most beautiful works that one could see of his in the last years. To a furious Mars in armour, with sword in hand, in the act of resolutely

running off to war, a graceful, most beautiful virgin presents herself; looking at him affection-ately, to restrain his fury she holds out

an olive branch to him. In the head of Mars one sees the ferocious Caracalla, but ennobled and embellished by the painter's genius.* In a fu

rther letter to Arundell of 7th December 1776, Thorpe wrote: 'Pompeo does not offer his painting Peace and War to sale: it is one of those p

ieces which he makes every two or three years, with more than ordinary attention, then pretends to keep for himself untill he suffers it to

be wrested from him for the sake of a double price, this is an old trick of him and others. The picture is certainly a very fine one ..." Th

orpe's view that Batoni's claim to be creating special works for himself was intended as a marketing ploy may well be correct, for the four

known non-commissioned works all ended up with his most select clients: the Choice of Hercules (now in the Hermitage, St Petersburg) was pur

chased by Catherine's favourite, Count Kyrill Rasumovsky; the Prodigal son (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) was bought for Maria Theresa;

and the Holy Family (Hermitage) was to be acquired by Catherine's son, the Grand Duke Paul. The inscription on the hem of the cloak worn by

Peace, 'POMPEO DE BATONI PINXIT ROMAE 1776' leaves no doubt that the Chicago canvas is the one described by Thorpe and Puhlmann. 'The painti

ng shows Peace and War personified in the guise of the Roman deities Pax and Mars. The action takes place in an unremarkable outdoor setting

, with a sky largely covered by threatening clouds; green vegetation on either side of the protagonists is barely discernible. Actively step

ping towards Mars, Pax wears a diaphanous robe that leaves her breast entirely bare X-radiography shows that it was originally covered), and

her lower body faintly dis-cernible. The erotic appeal of the scene makes it like the amorous encounter between Mars and Venus - a more com

mon subject. THE Art Institute of Chicago recently acquired Pompeo Batoni's Peace and War, an allegorical work completed in 1776 (Fig. 10).

Although Batoni is now best known for his portraits of Grand Tourists in Rome, during his lifetime (1708 87) his mythological or historical

paintings and allegories were highly appreciated by lite collectors through much of Europe. Peace and War, created when Batoni was at the su

mmit of his artistic power and reputation, was described by contemporary critics as one of the artist's most successful works. Before its re

appearance on the Paris art market in 1996, the whereabouts of Peace and War was unknown. However, it was described at some length by no few

er than three contemporary sources. On 28th September 1776 Father John Thorpe, a priest who advised British collectors on the Roman art scen

e, wrote to Lord Arundell (whose agent in Rome he was): [Pompeo] has finished his picture of two figures representing Peace and War, it is s

urely a masterpiece, [and] shows powers perhaps superior to any master who ever painted at his time of life: it has all the perfection and b

rilliancy of his best and favourite performances. War is represented in the character of Mars in armour, with his helmet on, [and] sword dra

wn rushing to battle. Peace is figured as a most amiable young female with all the charms of beauty and modesty who (restrain]ing Mars with

one hand gently presses back his sword hand, while with the other she sweetly offers him her olive branch. The painter is supposed to have m

ade this picture to stand in competition with whatever Mr. Mengs who is soon expected from Madrid can produce. [It) is certainly an admirabl

e piece, into which Pompeo has plentifully thrown in all the excellence of his art with a singular beauty of colouring, It was not painted b

y commission, nor will the painter part with it unless tempted by a very high recompence. He intends to make a companion for it, thus, War b

y the persuasion of Peace, sheathing his sword smiles upon the Arts presented to him by Peace. I do not know whether Pompeo intended it, but

he has made a pretty allegory in raising the shield of War over the head of Peace, while she is stopping his sword. On the very same day, J

.G. Puhlmann, a German assistant in Batoni's studio, wrote to his parents that he had brought several people there, in order to view the pic

ture that he [Batoni] has now finished, which presents War as a young hero who is held back by Peace, an attractive young maiden. One of the

most beautiful things that [Batoni] has ever made ... In his Elogio of Batoni after the artist's death in 1787, Onofirio Boni devoted an un

usual amount of space to this picture: The painting called Peace and War, with figures that end just above the knee, was equally reputed to

be one of the most beautiful works that one could see of his in the last years. To a furious Mars in armour, with sword in hand, in the act

of resolutely running off to war, a graceful, most beautiful virgin presents herself; looking at him affection-ately, to restrain his fury s

he holds out an olive branch to him. In the head of Mars one sees the ferocious Caracalla, but ennobled and embellished by the painter's gen

ius.* In a further letter to Arundell of 7th December 1776, Thorpe wrote: 'Pompeo does not offer his painting Peace and War to sale: it is o

ne of those pieces which he makes every two or three years, with more than ordinary attention, then pretends to keep for himself untill he s

uffers it to be wrested from him for the sake of a double price, this is an old trick of him and others. The picture is certainly a very fin

e one ..." Thorpe's view that Batoni's claim to be creating special works for himself was intended as a marketing ploy may well be correct,

for the four known non-commissioned works all ended up with his most select clients: the Choice of Hercules (now in the Hermitage, St Peters

burg) was purchased by Catherine's favourite, Count Kyrill Rasumovsky; the Prodigal son (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) was bought for Ma

ria Theresa; and the Holy Family (Hermitage) was to be acquired by Catherine's son, the Grand Duke Paul. The inscription on the hem of the c

loak worn by Peace, 'POMPEO DE BATONI PINXIT ROMAE 1776' leaves no doubt that the Chicago canvas is the one described by Thorpe and Puhlmann

. 'The painting shows Peace and War personified in the guise of the Roman deities Pax and Mars. The action takes place in an unremarkable ou

tdoor setting, with a sky largely covered by threatening clouds; green vegetation on either side of the protagonists is barely discernible.

Actively stepping towards Mars, Pax wears a diaphanous robe that leaves her breast entirely bare X-radiography shows that it was originally

covered), and her lower body faintly dis-cernible. The erotic appeal of the scene makes it like the amorous encounter between Mars and Venus

- a more common subje...