Armageddon (circle of Pierre de Cortone), Pietro da Cortona

Circle of pierre de cortone armageddon oil on canvas 92,7 x 81,7 cm; 36½ by 32⅛ in. The extraordinary iconography of this work is an almost literal interpretation of the book of revelation (16: 1-14), which describes the final battle between good and evil on the day of the last judgment. Seven angels pour out the bowls of god’s wrath on the earth, each one unleashing a new plague. The dragon on the right represents the false prophets, from whose mouths issue ‘unclean spirits like frogs’. Although it depicts a subject rarely tackled in italian painting, this work was certainly executed by an artist close to pietro da cortona, as suggested by the mysterious heavily draped figures that close the composition on the left. Date: 17th century.