Bernardino da Asola – The Garden of Love Part 1 National Gallery UK

The composition presents a pastoral scene unfolding within a lush, verdant garden setting. A dense grove of trees dominates the left side of the canvas, their foliage casting shadows and creating a sense of enclosure. Beyond this initial screen, the landscape opens up into a broader vista featuring rolling hills punctuated by distant mountains under a clear sky. The artist employed a muted palette, favoring earthy tones of green, brown, and ochre, with touches of brighter color in the figures’ attire.
Two distinct groups of individuals occupy the foreground. On the left, a young man and woman stand close together, their postures suggesting an intimate connection. He is dressed in dark breeches and a patterned doublet, while she wears a long, flowing gown of pale yellow. The man holds a small object – perhaps a flower or a token – in his hand, and both gaze downwards with expressions that are difficult to decipher definitively; they could be contemplative, embarrassed, or simply observing something on the ground.
To the right, a couple reclines amidst a patch of wildflowers. The male figure, clad in a red tunic, leans over the woman who lies beside him. She holds a small book or scroll, and their interaction appears relaxed and affectionate. Further back within the landscape, smaller figures can be discerned engaged in what seems to be a playful pursuit – possibly children at play or a group of companions enjoying the scenery.
The arrangement of these groups suggests a narrative unfolding across different planes of experience. The couple on the left embodies a more restrained form of courtship or contemplation, while the reclining pair represents a state of established intimacy and leisure. This juxtaposition hints at various stages within a romantic relationship – from initial attraction to settled contentment.
The garden itself functions as a symbolic space, representing not only physical beauty but also an idealized realm of love and pleasure. The presence of wildflowers and lush vegetation reinforces this association with natural abundance and sensual enjoyment. The distant mountains provide a sense of depth and grandeur, suggesting the timelessness and enduring nature of these emotions.
The overall effect is one of quiet observation – a glimpse into a private moment within a larger world. The artist’s attention to detail in rendering the figures clothing and the surrounding landscape conveys a sense of realism while simultaneously elevating the scene to an allegorical level, inviting reflection on themes of love, courtship, and the passage of time.