#historical scene

[fiery-kitty]

The Encounter of Pope Leo the Great with Attila the Hun – Ercole Ferrata, after 1657

The Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna / Geistliche Schatzkammer (Ecclesiastical Treasury)

This gilded bronze relief is a reduced version of a monumental marble relief created for the St. Peter’s Basilica between 1646 and 1653. The original work was executed by Alessandro Algardi together with Domenico Guidi and Ercole Ferrata. The scene depicts the legendary meeting in 452 CE between Pope Leo I and Attila the Hun near Mantua, during which the Pope is said to have persuaded Attila to turn back and withdraw from Italy.

Place of origin: Rome

After: Alessandro Algardi (1598, Bologna – 1654, Rome)

Materials and Technique: fire-gilded bronze; frame: bronze, copper, silver

Dimensions: height 98 cm, width 59.5 cm (relief), height 158 cm, width 96 cm (frame)

[periodinteriors]

Heinrich Hansen, Interior of the Rosenburg Palace, Copenhagen, c. 1821-1890.

[diemelusine]

On the Road from Waterloo to Paris (1863) by Marcus Stone. Guildhall Art Gallery.

[artemlegere]

Lord Byron on his Deathbed

Artist: Joseph Denis Odevaere (Flemish, 1775-1830)

Date: 1826

Medium: Oil painting

Collection: Groeningemuseum Museum, Bruges, Belgium

Description

Lord Byron lies stretched out on his deathbed, his head crowned with laurel wreaths. Beside the bed lies a lyre, the strings of which have broken. On the foot of the bed, the titles of the various literary works of the poet and writer are inscribed in medallions.

The painting has a distinct symbolic meaning. The renowned English poet and writer Lord Byron enlisted as a volunteer in the Greek War of Independence against the Turks. He died in Missolonghi in 1824. He is depicted here as a Greek hero, at the foot of the Statue of Liberty. The lyre with broken strings symbolizes the poet silenced by death.

[royalty-nobility]

Louis XVI Receives the Homage of the Knights of the Holy Spirit in Reims, June 13, 1775

Artist: Gabriel François Doyen (French, 1726–1806)

Date: ca. 1775-1776

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Palace of Versailles, Paris, France

Description

On June 13, 1775, King Louis XVI received the homage of the Knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit (Ordre du Saint-Esprit) in Reims, two days after his coronation. This ceremony solidified his role as Grand Master of the Order.

[preraphaelitepaintings]

Rienzi Vowing to Pbtain Justice for his Brother's Death

Artist: William Holman Hunt (English, 1827-1910)

Date: 1849

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: The National Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Description

This is a scene from the life of Cola di Rienzi. He was an Italian politician from Rome. In 1344 he led a revolt in Rome and declared himself its leader. His humble background, revolt against an aristocratic elite and demands for the reunification of Italy made him a liberal hero in the nineteenth century.

The painting is based on a novel by the British writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Rienzi is holding his fist to the sky. He is vowing revenge for the death of his brother whom he holds on his lap. During a skirmish with their enemies, he has been killed accidentally by his allies. The painting has a revolutionary message about the overthrow of tyranny. It also explores the theme of the futile death of a young man.

[allegorypaintings]

Christian I Elevates Holstein to a Duchy in 1460. Allegory

Artist: Nicolai Abildgaard (Danish, 1743-1809)

Date: 1778

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark

Description

In 1474, King Christian I of Denmark successfully elevated the County of Holstein-Rendsburg to the Imperial Duchy of Holstein, a major political achievement secured through his relationship with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. This move solidified Danish Oldenburg control over the region, establishing Holstein as a direct imperial vassal within the Holy Roman Empire

[periodinteriors]

François Joseph Corneille Haseleer, The Courtroom of the Burg. 't Vrije in Bruges, c. 1824-1846, oil on panel.