Allegory of the Fall of Ignorant Humanity: Virtus Combusta

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image depicts a black and white drawing of seven people and two animals. The people are arranged in a line from left to right: - A man with wings and an animal's legs, holding a flute to his mouth. - A woman with a cloth wrapped around her head, holding a long stick. - A woman with long hair, no shirt, and her right hand on the chest of the next person. - A man with horns, no shirt, and his right hand on the arm of the previous woman. - A woman with long hair, blindfolded, sitting and holding a torch. - A woman wearing a crown, sitting on a throne-like chair and holding a stick. - A woman with long hair and a crown on her head, with her left hand outstretched. The two animals are: - A small dog standing on the left, - A lion-like creature with wings on the right. The background is dark and shaded, with diagonal lines. The drawing appears to be on a flat surface with an archway underneath. There is text at the bottom right that reads "VIRTUS COMBUSTA".