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Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
(1780–1867)
Paolo and Francesca
Rome, about 1814/20
Oil on canvas
Paolo kisses Francesca, inflamed by their reading of the Arthurian romance of Guinevere and Lancelot. Gianciotto, her deformed husband, and brother of Paolo, enters from the right and prepares to kill them. This story of illicit lovers, condemned to an eternity in hell, appears in Dante’s Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century.
The important French neo-classical artist, Ingres, painted many medieval and renaissance subjects. He developed a simplified style of strong silhouettes and bright colours based on early renaissance artists. This manner was designed to fit the historical period of his subjects.
Purchased 1954 (No. 54.6)