Jean-baptiste Mallet (1759-1835) Meeting Of Paolo And Francesca Oil On Parchment Early 19th Century

Attributed to Jean-baptiste Mallet (Grasse, 1759-Paris, 1835)Oil painting on parchment (reused manuscript page: palimpsest) Scene of meeting between Paolo and Francesca. Of great beauty, Francesca, daughter of a noblewoman of Ravenna of the house of Polenta, lived at the end of the 13th century. For purely political reasons, her father married her to a man of value but afflicted with a deformed body. This union, probably intended to seal a political alliance between the two families, was made by proxy. The couple had a daughter, Concordia, and a son, Francesco. In 1283, Francesca's brother-in-law, Paolo Malatesta, returned to Rimini after clashes with the Ghibellines and found Francesca with whom he had an affair. When the husband discovers the adultery, he stabs his wife and brother to death. Dimensions on view: 20 x 26 cm Dimensions of the mat: 30.9 x 37.3 cm