Doge Francesco Foscari’s Removal (The Two Foscari) 1844

Francesco Hayez painted Doge Francesco Foscari’s Removal, or The Two Foscari, using oil on canvas. Hayez uses traditional fine art materials to depict a politically charged narrative, one involving the deposition of Doge Foscari in fifteenth-century Venice. The intense emotions on display are supported by the artist’s studied technique. Consider the interplay of light and shadow, and the rich colors of the doge's robes, painted with painstaking detail. Notice, too, how Hayez’s skilled hand captures the texture of various fabrics, adding to the scene's visual and tactile richness. Yet, by focusing on this moment of political intrigue, Hayez engages with themes of power, authority, and the human cost of political machinations. He prompts us to consider how the craftsmanship embedded in the painting intersects with broader social and historical narratives. This reminds us that even seemingly straightforward historical depictions involve skillful making, and the communication of ideology.