Triumph of Venice
by BAMBINI, Nicolò, Oil on canvas
Bambini, a favourite with the Venetian aristocracy, executed this commission for the Pesaro family, glorifying both the Republic and the family through clear visual allusions to the 16th-century paintings in the Palazzo Ducale. The theme is spelled out in the Latin inscription near the bottom of the composition: “ferro aeque sceptroque potens” (powerful equally through sword and sceptre).
On the initiative of Leonardo Pesaro, the image of Venus triumphant made its appearance in a private residence for the first time, emerging from the official context of the Palazzo Ducale.