Historical Scene from Venice

This multi-figural history depicts an audience of a monarch. Sitting on a throne under a canopy, surrounded by other figures, he receives a noblewoman accompanied by a large retinue of women, pageboys, a child and animals; we can also see a stack of golden dishes. A building with a cupola decorated by flags, a lagoon with ships near the shore and a rocky bluff are in the background. 

The monarch wearing a chain with the sign of the Order of the Golden Fleece on his chest is identified by a crown whose shape is similar to the insignia of Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg. Among the men standing around him, one holds an apple and a sword; another holds a scepter and a document with a large red seal. A noblewoman standing across from him wears a small crown on her head. Pageboys playing with animals are probably attributes of courtly life and higher society. 

The monarch’s status is emphasized by the elevated position of the throne and canopy. The arrangement of the figures and composition is linear. Horizontal segmentation defines the retinue which is marked off by structures on both sides,
which are situated on a diagonal. However, this is not articulated to such an extent that the earlier designation could be accepted without reservations. There is nothing that indicates the theme of the engagement of Joanna the Mad, daughter of Maximilian, with Philip the Handsome. 

The depiction of a public event with a large group of people and the decorative architecture in the background, the sea coast environment, the colors, and the scene narrated through the clumsy static postures of the main characters and the use of many narrative details are enough to attribute this painting to Andrea Michieli (Vicentino), a Venetian history painter and an assistant of Jacopo Tintoretto (1519–1594). Considering the earlier iconographic designation, Michieli also had contacts in circles of interest along the Habsburg Coastline; for example, he dedicated the graphic work of the Wedding at Cana to the Archbishop in Split. One layer of meaning in the painting is obvious from the inclusion of the Golden Fleece, the protector of Christianity and the Catholic Church and the contributor to virtues and morals. 
 

Zuzana Ludiková ● LUDIKOVÁ, Zuzana - BURAN, Dušan. Talianska maľba = Italian Painting. Bratislava : Slovenská národná galéria, 2013. 242 strán. ISBN 9788080591748.