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Eduard von Gebhardt (1838–1925)

Antechamber in the Doge’s Palace

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Tintoretto’s Paradiso (1588–1592), detail.

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Gothic architecture in Venice

In Gothic architecture in Venice, Edoardo Arslan details the extensive history of Doge’s Palace and points out different features of the building that were influential in Venetian Gothic architecture. Venetian Gothic differs from traditional Gothic architecture due to Byzantine and Ottoman influences. For example, Venetian Gothic windows sometime appear in the shape of Islamic Onion Arches. The book places heavy influence on the different types of windows, specifically two-light to six-light windows.

Arslan, Edoardo. Gothic Architecture in Venice. Phaidon, 1972.

Example of a three-light window

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The Doge's Palace in Venice: A Tour Through Art and History

In The Doge’s Palace in Venice, Wolfgang Wolters provides an art historian’s guide to the palace, St. Mark’s Cathedral, and Rialto Bridge. After providing a general description of the architecture and history, Welters dives deeper into the history of specific pieces of art in the palace. The art that is featured in Doge’s Palace is very special because it was specially created for the space and most of it was painted on the walls or ceilings so there is no way to see it anywhere else. As doges came into power and the needs of the Venetian government evolved, they would make additions to the palace and commission new, government themed art for the space. One such piece is Doge Francesco Venier presents to Venice its subject cities by Palma Vecchio. 

Wolters, Wolfgang. The Doge's Palace in Venice: a Tour through Art and History. Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010.

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Andrea Palladio

Andrea Palladio is an Italian architect that designed many buildings in Northern Italy. He famously designed the Villa Rotunda and wrote The Four Books of Architecture. 

Here are three things I learned about him from Britannica:

1. Palladio was educated in Mannerist sculpture as an apprentice in Verona which impacted his later works and the Palladian style of architecture.

2. One of Palladio’s most famous designs was never built! Villa Trissino is famous solely because it was featured in the Quattro libri.

3. Although Palladio did not design the original plan for Doge’s Palace, he contributed decorative architecture for renovations and the interior.

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blog post

https://www.planetware.com/venice/doges-palace-i-vn-vd.htm

I learned that the Sala del Maggior Consiglio was the Hall of Great Council and served as the seat of the lower house of parliament and contains the world’s largest oil painting - Tintoretto's Paradise.

Something I disagree with the author about is the “remarkably light-looking upper story” because although the light colors used do give it a lighter appearance, it still seems very heavy and boxy to me compared to the arches on the bottom half. In my opinion, the colors do not have the ability to balance out the concavity of the arches.

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VIDEO - I completely forgot how dark it is in some areas of the palace. While there are large windows, the rooms are too enormous for the light to fill and a significant portion of the art contains dark colors. Because the building is top heavy, there are very few windows on the top half and the arches block a significant portion of light from entering any windows on the bottom floors. Without electric lights, it would be very difficult to see inside.

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FLICKR PHOTO CACHE -

1. Facade of the building - shows very gothic details in all of the arches and detailed points on top

2. Courtyard - detailed facade relieves are clearly shown here alongside several statues

3. Courtyard - can see how the white marble shimmers in the sunlight and gives the building a very light, ethereal feeling

4. Canal Facing Facade - really grand entrance to the Palace via waterway that allows you to see detailed patterns and arches. It also demonstrates the opposite nature of the building (heavy top, light bottom)

5. Perspective - demonstrates the simplicity of the building’s base form. While there is a lot of patterning and decoration, the base form of the building is rectangular

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The upper story of the facade features a diamond pattern of colored stone, a technique that was a hallmark of late Byzantine architecture. The openwork (lattice-like carving) and arcades of the bottom two levels combine Islamic and Gothic influences .... As a result of its unique cultural and geographic position, fourteenth-century Venetian architecture - as exemplified by the Palazzo Ducale - is a beautiful hybrid of Byzantine, Islamic, and Gothic cultures, which are all bound together within a blossoming Venetian Renaissance architectural tradition.

Dr. Ellen Hurst

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Battle of Lepanto

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GOOGLE EARTH - Doge’s Palace is in a densely populated urban area, which makes the sheer size of the building and St. Mark’s Square even more awe inspiring. Everything about the building is oozing with power. It sits right on the canal, and wraps around St. Mark’s Basilica. With so many important buildings surrounding it, it’s clear that it served as the center of all civic life in the Venetian Republic.

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I was able to visit Doge's Palace around 7 years ago and it completely blew me away. I had seen some amazing architecture on that trip, but nothing quite compared to my visit to the palace. The entire area is an amazing show of power. The palace can be seen shining in the sunlight when you arrive via boat on the canal, and when you arrive in St. Mark's Square, it's amazing to see the immense size of the building. Surprisingly, it seems even larger once you step into the building. Every room is absolutely enormous, and every square inch is covered in some sort of art. When you typically enter a busy, heavily decorated room it may seem small and suffocating, but the sheer size of the palace balanced that out several times over. It was absolutely astonishing to see such a large space so meticulously decorated and I felt so in awe the entire time I was there.

Claudia Wang (my visit to Doge’s Palace)

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GRAND - the palace is a clear demonstration of the former Venetian Republic’s power and riches. The ceilings are all covered with gold leaf and absolutely exquisite art by artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Palma Vecchio, and even Titian before the piece was destroyed by a fire

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Palace positioning in St. Mark’s Square behind St. Mark’s Basilica

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Facade facing the canal

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