Allegory of Envy

Cristofano Robetta

National Gallery of Art

This print shows five adults and one child depicted in various poses in an outdoor setting. In the center is one standing woman, surrounded on either side by two couples. All the people have pale skin and are nude, although the woman in the center and one woman on the right have thin cloths draped around their hips. The couple on the left is seated on a rock, one person sitting on the other's lap, their legs intertwined. The other couple stands, their arms around each other's waists. The woman in the center appears old, with sharp features and deep wrinkles on her face. She is looking downward towards the ground. In the bottom left corner, a cherubic child sits on the ground, looking up at her. The ground beneath the people is rocky, with small patches of grass. In the background, there are tall trees on the left and a path leading to a town on a hill on the right, under a clear sky. The background of the print is beige paper.