98 THE STONES OF VENICE II. PRIDE OF STATE

however, set in the canopy above. Opposite this tomb, though about fifteen years later in date, is the richest monument of the Gothic period in Venice; that of the Doge Michele Morosini, who died in 1382.¹ It consists of a highly florid canopy,-an arch crowned by a gable, with pinnacles at the flanks, boldly crocketed, and with a huge finial at the top representing St. Michael,-a medallion of Christ set in the gable; under the arch, a mosaic, representing the Madonna presenting the Doge to Christ upon the cross; beneath, as usual, the sarcophagus, with a most noble recumbent figure of the Doge, his face meagre and severe, and sharp in its lines, but exquisite in the form of its small and princely features. The sarcophagus is adorned with elaborate wrinkled leafage, projecting in front of it into seven brackets, from which the statues are broken away: but by which-for there can be no doubt that these last statues represented the theological and cardinal Virtues-we must for a moment pause.

§ 66. It was noticed above,² that the tomb of the Florentine ambassador, Duccio, was the first in Venice which presented images of the Virtues. Its small lateral statues of Justice and Temperance are exquisitely beautiful, and were, I have no doubt, executed by a Florentine sculptor; the whole range of artistical power and religious feeling being in Florence full half a century in advance of that of Venice. But this³ is the first truly Venetian tomb which has the Virtues; and it becomes of importance, therefore, to know what was the character of Morosini.

The reader must recollect that I dated the commencement of the fall of Venice from the death of Carlo Zeno,⁴ considering that no state could be held as in decline which numbered such a man amongst its citizens. Carlo Zeno was a candidate for the Ducal bonnet together with

¹ [For this tomb see above, p. 14. For the character of the Doge, see below, Appendix 6, p. 257.]

² [§ 58. The tomb is in the Frari, in the 2nd chapel right of the choir. For a fuller account of the tomb, see Appendix 11, § 6, p. 295.]

³ [i.e., the tomb of Michele Morosini.]

⁴ [See Vol. IX. p. 21.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]