Artwork
The Legend of the King's Sons
The Legend of the King's Sons is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Bacchiacca. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi, known as Bacchiacca, completed the oil painting *The Legend of the King's Sons* in 1523. Executed in the Mannerist style that followed the High Renaissance, the work is part of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister collection in Dresden.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a mythological narrative in which a deceased monarch lies on the ground while his three sons and a surrounding crowd react. Architectural elements such as an arch, a bow, and a building frame the scene, suggesting a ceremonial or funerary context.
Technique & Style
Bacchiacca employs the elongated figures and complex spatial arrangements typical of Mannerism, using a warm palette of earthy browns, deep reds, and muted blues. The crowded foreground and detailed costumes create a theatrical tableau that emphasizes movement and emotional tension.
History & Provenance
After its creation in early 16th‑century Florence, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister. Its documented provenance traces a path from Italian patrons to the German museum where it remains on display.
Context
The work reflects Florentine artistic trends of the 1520s, when artists experimented with narrative complexity and exaggerated forms. Bacchiacca’s interest in mythological subjects aligns with contemporary humanist interests in classical stories and their moral implications.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco d'Ubertino Verdi, called Bachiacca (say "bah ki ah cka"). He is also known as Francesco Ubertini, il Bacchiacca (1494–1557). He was an Italian painter of the Renaissance whose work is characteristic of the…
