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Giovanni Battista Brustolon

The Doge Crowned in the Scala dei Giganti (Stair of the Giants), from the series

Description

Maker

Giovanni Battista Brustolon (Italian, 1712-1796), printmaker
After Canaletto (Italian, 1697-1768), designer

Title

The Doge Crowned in the Scala dei Giganti (Stair of the Giants), from the series
Le Feste Ducali (Ducal Festivals)

Year

1766

Medium

  • Etching on paper

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Etching on paper

Materials

etching, engraving

Supports

  • Medium weight cream laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 45.4 x 56.2 cm (17 7/8 x 22 1/8 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Lettered LL: "Antonius Canal pinxit."; LR: "Jo. Bap. Brustolon inc."; LC: "Expleto a Serenissimo DUCE ... populum alloquitur"
Numbered LR: "No. 3"

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

66.290

Type

  • Prints

Projects & Publications

Publications

  • Books

Venice in the Eighteenth Century: Prints and Drawings

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Festive City
Dec 21, 2012 – Jul 14, 2013

Label copy

The Doge was the chief magistrate and leader of the city of Venice, elected for life by the aristocracy of the city. Giovanni Battista Brustolon’s print shows the Doge being crowned at the top of the Stair of the Giants in the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale. The small, draped, and pious figure of the Doge with the cornu held tantalizingly above his head is dwarfed by the magnificent naked giants of Mars and Neptune, gods of War and the Sea, sculpted by Jacopo Sansovino. Directly above him, the winged lion of St. Mark, the city’s patron saint, presides over the coronation from the portal of the palace. The low viewpoint highlights the grandeur of the architecture and its suitability for performing and viewing such ceremonies. A lively cast of Venetians attends in the traditional “domino” costume of the city and in mask.

Venetian Drawings and Prints of the 18th Century
Jan 12, 1967 – Feb 05, 1967

Use & Feedback

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Giovanni Battista Brustolon (Italian, 1712-1796), printmaker
After Canaletto (Italian, 1697-1768), designer
The Doge Crowned in the Scala dei Giganti (Stair of the Giants), from the series; Le Feste Ducali (Ducal Festivals), 1766
Etching on paper
Plate: 45.4 x 56.2 cm (17 7/8 x 22 1/8 inches)
Museum Works of Art Fund 66.290

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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