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Francesco Guardi , Italian, 1712-1793

Title

The Doge wedding the Adriatic

Datec.1780

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

39 x 57 cm

Credit LinePurchased, 1864

Object numberNGI.92

Exhibition HistoryCentenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, October - December 1964

From Titian to Delacroix: Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art, 25 August 1993 - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, 10 November 1993 - 20 December 1993; Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January 1994 - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, 25 February 1994 - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, 14 April 1994 - 24 May 1994

European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery, Canberra, 25 June 1994 - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of New South Wales, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995

Label TextGuardi, like Canaletto and Bellotto, painted many views of his native Venice. Here, he depicts a ceremonial occasion which took place annually on Ascension Day. The Doge, surrounded by his entourage, would travel in the gilded state barge to the mouth of the Lido. Then, as a symbol of Venetian naval power, he would throw a gold ring into the sea. This wedding ritual commemorated Venice’s defence of the Papacy against Frederick Barbarossa in 1177.