Design and Color (in Samuel F. B. Morses “Gallery of the Louvre”)

Guido Reni’s “The Union of Design and Color” is an allegorical depiction of the reconciliation of design (disegno) and color (colorito), which have long been considered the most significant attributes of Florentine and Venetian painting, respectively. Both schools were extremely important to Samuel F. B. Morse and well represented in his picture. In the following video, Musée du Louvre chief curator Stéphane Loire explains why Morse chose to highlight Reni’s painting in such a prominent place within his composition.