Review Of Rosand’s “Venetia Figurata: The Iconography Of A Myth”

Venice personified, or Venetia, is probably the most influential mythical figure to shape an entire worlds view on one city in the whole of modern history. David Rosand explains this icon who embodied the beliefs and reputation of the Republic of Venice, through each one of her personified virtues as they came into existence in the art and literature of the time. By the end of the 14th century, Venetia came to be known as the icon for Justice, a regal retributive figure that sits on the leonine throne of St. Mark (the patron saint of Venice). Rosand explains this and others using the many paintings and medallions of the Venetia Figurata from the middle of the Trecento to the start of the 17th century. He examines each piece by first explaining the virtue or persons being personified in Venetia and then explaining the surrounding space and how it fits into his translation of the piece. Through many years and artworks, Venetia became an icon that would embody such virtues and persons as Justice, the Virgin Mary, the figure of Dea Roma, and Venus. This was only by the advent of the Venetian political imagination who transformed her into whatever they though

The discussion put forth by Rosand is an interesting one. These many faces of Venetia are mostly blatant, but some, are more of a stretch. For me it is easier to believe that the imagery used by the artists is more of a style or taste than one of such many different symbolic meanings. But nonetheless, he did point out each virtue and personification clearly and believably. Whatever the meaning behind these images, Venetia did show the rest of the world what a noble and virtuous state Venice was and undeniably proved its immaculate and glorious presence.

The Virgin Mary is the personification of Venetia that we see next in Rosand’s essay. This is a face that held the most meaning to the Venetians, because of the “divine” origins of their state. According to legend, Venice came to be on the date of the annunciation, March 25, 421 and therefore is automatically related to the Virgin Mary. In Jacobella del Fiore’s triptych, he blatantly shows the face of Venetia as the Virgin by using symbols like Gabriel holding a lily and mirroring the events on March 25 by announcing the birth of this new state and era of Christianity. Venice is also referenced to the Virgin because of i

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