Four doges and a man in a mantle with the doge’s cap in his hands, with the Annunciation(?) in the background 1556 - 1629

Antonio Aliense created this pen and brown ink drawing of four doges and a man in a mantle in Venice, sometime between the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The doge, the elected leader of Venice, was a figure of immense civic pride and power. Aliense's choice to depict multiple doges, along with the Annunciation in the background, suggests a narrative steeped in Venetian history and divine sanction. Venice was a republic ruled by merchant families, and its art often served to reinforce its unique political structure and its self-image as a divinely favored state. Consider the institutional history that shaped Aliense's work. He operated within a network of patrons, workshops, and artistic traditions specific to Venice. His style reflects the influence of Venetian masters, yet his interpretation of historical and religious themes seems to affirm the values of his time. To fully understand this drawing, we would need to delve into Venetian archives, examine contemporary accounts of political events, and study the artistic conventions that governed visual representation in the city. Art, in the end, speaks volumes about the society that produces it.