Artwork
Der Doge Francesco Foscari schickt seinen Sohn Giacomo in die Verbannung ("I due Foscari")
Der Doge Francesco Foscari schickt seinen Sohn Giacomo in die Verbannung ("I due Foscari") is an oil painting by Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti’s 1838 oil painting portrays the moment when Doge Francesco Foscari orders his son Giacomo to leave Venice in exile. Executed in a Neoclassical idiom, the work reflects the artist’s academic training and his role as a professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a charged historical episode from the mid‑15th century, emphasizing the tension between public duty and private sorrow. By focusing on the Doge’s solemn decree, the scene invites reflection on the costs of political authority in the Venetian Republic.
Technique & Style
Grigoletti employs a restrained palette dominated by whites, golds, and muted earth tones, directing attention to the central figure in a richly patterned robe. The chiaroscuro modeling and precise draftsmanship are characteristic of Neoclassical academic painting, while the arrangement of figures creates a clear, narrative focus.
Context
Francesco Foscari’s tenure as Doge (1423‑1457) was marked by military campaigns and internal strife, culminating in the exile and eventual death of his son Giacomo. Grigoletti’s choice of this subject aligns with 19th‑century Italian interest in national history and moral exempla drawn from the past.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti
Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti (29 August 1801 – 11 February 1870) was an Italian painter, active in a Neoclassical style. He was also a professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia.
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