Artwork Information

This figure, which also appears in Italian tarocchi (tarot) cards as Primo Mobile, has puzzled people for centuries. Although sometimes called Victory, or Fortune, the former is usually shown holding a palm or wreath, while the latter traditionally stands on a globe rather than holding it. Possibly derived from a similar figure in proximity to a scene of birth depicted by Giulio Romano at Palazzo del Te, in an allegorical sense it would imply that the newborn’s future is in the hands of Fortune. The print bears the mark of Giuseppe Storck (1766-1836), a German dealer who worked out of Milan. (A Connoisseur's Eye: Prints from the Tomory Collection, 2005)