834 massimo favilla, ruggero rugolo, and dulcia meijers
on the grant schemes of Bologna and rome and abandoning those of the
Ducal Palace, and they introduced—often in combination— new architec-
tural elements that broke with the typological vernacular of the Venetian
palazzo, such as doubly high ballrooms and open monumental staircases.
the spectacularly frescoed ballroom of Palazzo Zenobio discussed above,
whose owners originated from Verona, forms a good example. Some of
the older Venetian families were eager to continue this love of display.61
the concept of magnificenza lastly gained its way into the city’s private
domain,62 perhaps at the expense of the interests of the state; heroes of
antique history started to inhabit the palaces on the main island as well,
as they had already done in the villas and dwellings on the terraferma
much earlier.63 representation became as important a value for private
families as it had been for the state at large.
a comparison between the new frescoes for the ballroom of Palazzo
Dolfin, dating around 1710, and those executed for Palazzo Labia by Gio-
vanni Battista tiepolo, the genius of the century, some 35 years later, illus-
trates well how the taste for monumental fresco decoration introduced by
the Zenobio towards the end of the 17th century continued to prevail.
the Dolfin, a well-respected family of the old style whose members had
played a key role in the political, military, and literary life of the repub-
lic had commissioned the already-mentioned Bambini, together with the
quadraturista antonio Felice Ferrari, to depict the virtues of the state and
of their family on the ceiling.64 Simulated architecture in the shape of a
huge undulating balustrade, in denial of the actual rectangular shape of
the room, extends optically and dramatically the appearance of the space.
intertwined with simulated sculpture, it forms the frame for the groups of
allegorical figures that swirl towards heaven and look down at the viewer.
it was meant to overwhelm.65
tiepolo, who apprenticed to Gregorio Lazzarini, was already in his
mature years and was unanimously recognized as the greatest painter
61 Such as the Pesaro family, Haskell, Patrons and Painters, p. 249.
62 a theoretical justification for the display of one’s status, developed by the 15th cen-
tury humanist and theorist Leon Battista alberti.
63 a theme elaborated by andrea Gottdang, Venedigs antike Helden: die Darstellung
der antiken Geschichte in der venezianischen Malerei von 1680 bis 1760 (Munich, 1999),
pp. 89–154. See also Klara Garas, “allegorie und Geschichte in der Venezianischen Malerei
des 18. Jahrhunderts,” Acta Historie Artium 11 (1965), 275–302.
64 adriano Mariuz, “La ‘Magnifica Sala’ di Palazzo Dolfin a Venezia, gli affreschi di
nicolò Bambini e antonio Felice Ferrari,” Arte Veneta 35 (1981), 182–86.
65 the portego serves now as the official reception hall of the University of Venice.