Dante Gabriel Rossetti - Paolo and Francesca da Rimini (1862)

Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta (died between 1283 and 1286) was a medieval noblewoman of

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

, who was murdered by her husband,

Giovanni Malatesta Giovanni Malatesta (died 1304), known, from his lameness, as Gianciotto, or Giovanni, lo Sciancato, was the eldest son of Malatesta da Verucchio of Rimini. From 1275 onwards he played an active part in the Romagnole Wars and factions. He is chie ...

, upon his discovery of her affair with his brother,

Paolo Malatesta Paolo Malatesta (; – 1285), also known as il Bello ('the Beautiful'), was the third son of Malatesta da Verucchio, lord of Rimini. He is best known for the story of his affair with Francesca da Polenta, portrayed by Dante in a famous episode ...

. She was a contemporary of

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

, who portrayed her as a character in the ''

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...

''.

Life and death

Daughter of

Guido I da Polenta Guido I da Polenta (died 1310) was lord of Ravenna from 1275 until his abdication in 1297. The son of Lamberto da Polenta, he was ousted from Ravenna by the imperial troops in 1240. When the city was returned to the Papal States in 1248, Guido was ...

, Francesca was wedded in or around 1275 to the brave, yet crippled

(also called Gianciotto or "Giovanni the Lame"), son of

Malatesta da Verucchio Malatesta da Verucchio (1212–1312) was the founder of the powerful Italian Malatesta family and a notable '' condottiero.'' He was born in Verucchio. He was the son of Malatesta della Penna (1183-1248). He was the leader of the Guelphs in Romag ...

, lord of

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

. The marriage was a political one; Guido had been at war with the

Malatesta family ) , type= Noble house , country=ItalySan Marino, estates=Castel Sismondo (Rimini)Rocca Malatestiana (Cesena) , titles=, founded=, founder=Malatesta da Verucchio, final ruler=Pandolfo IV Malatesta, deposition=, dissolution= The House of Malatesta w ...

, and the marriage of his daughter to Giovanni was a way to secure the peace that had been negotiated between the Malatesta and the

Polenta Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...

families. While in

, she fell in love with Giovanni's younger brother,

Paolo Paolo is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Paul. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Paolo Art *Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter *Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American s ...

. Though Paolo, too, was married, they managed to carry on an affair for some ten years, until Giovanni ultimately surprised them in Francesca's bedroom some time between 1283 and 1286, killing them both.

In Dante's ''Divine Comedy''

1835 Ary Scheffer - The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil

Francesca appears as a character in Dante's ''

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...

'', the first part of the ''Divine Comedy'', where she is the first soul damned in Hell proper to be given a substantive speaking role. Francesca's testimony and condemnation is the first historical record of her, laying the foundation for her remembrance and legacy. Dante's knowledge of Francesca most likely stemmed from her nephew,

Guido Novello da Polenta Guido II da Polenta (died 1330), also known as Guido Novello, was an Italian who served as lord of Ravenna from 1316 until 1322. The nephew of Lamberto I da Polenta, he acquired the lordship of the city after the latter's death. In 1316–1321 he ...

, who served as Dante's host in Ravenna at the end of his life. In ''Inferno'' 5, Dante and

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

meet Francesca and her lover Paolo in the second circle of hell, reserved for the lustful. The couple are buffeted by violent winds in a similar manner that they allowed themselves to be swept away by their passions. Dante approaches Francesca and Paolo. Francesca takes ownership of telling their story while Paolo weeps in the background. She first introduces herself not by name, but by the city in which she was born; Francesca's self-association with the land implies a voluntary detachment from her personhood and a self-objectification. Dante's condemnation of Francesca stems from her complete refusal of agency. In her compelling speech to Dante, Francesca blames love as the agent of her sin. Francesca explaining that Paolo loved her first and describes how "Love, which is swiftly kindled in the noble heart, seized this one for the lovely person that was taken from me; and the manner still injures me." She depicts herself as a passive agent who succumbed to Paolo's love for her. Francesca's description of love "seizing" her implies that she views herself as a helpless victim of her circumstance. She continues that, "Love, which pardons no one loved from loving in return, seized me for his beauty so strongly that, as you see, it still does not abandon me." Here, she affirms that her reciprocation of Paolo's affection was dictated by "Love" itself, rather than a genuine love that came from within. Again, she portrays herself as a passive victim, refusing to recognize her own agency. Finally, Francesca explains that "Love led us on to one death." Francesca does not accept responsibility for the origins nor the consequences of her affair. It is also important to underscore that Francesca and Paolo's adultery was enabled by literature. Francesca and Paolo's relationship began innocently while reading a tale about

Lancelot du Lac Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

. Francesca tells Dante that she "was kissed by so great a lover, he, who will never be separated from me, kissed my mouth, all trembling. Galeotto was the book and he who wrote it: that day we read there no further." Again, Francesca refers to herself as a passive object and assigns agency to literature that ''she'' reads. Ironically, if Paolo and Francesca had finished reading, they would have learned that Guinivere and Lancelot's adultery eventually destroys

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

's kingdom. Dante's literary portrayal of Francesca allows her to become a relevant example for moral agency. Dante portrays Francesca compassionately and assigns her a commanding and persuasive voice. Francesca is "never actively interrupted by any authoritative male voice, be it the pilgrim's, the narrator's or, importantly, her lover's, who is silently present at the scene of the testimony." Additionally, Francesca's persuasive power derives from her language, which echoes that of love poetry, especially from Dante's early poems. In this way, Francesca becomes a reflection of Dante himself. At the end of Francesca's testimony, Dante faints and "fell as a dead body falls." The pilgrim's symbolic death parallels Francesca's submission to her desires. Francesca becomes an "avatar of a persona that had been Dante's own." Learning from Francesca's faults allows the pilgrim to rectify his own relationship with literature. Though Dante condemns Francesca, his compassionate literary portrayal gives her a dignity and a historical significance that she was deprived of in real life. In other words, her historical legacy transcends her literary condemnation. File:Johann Heinrich Füssli - Dante Observing the Soaring Souls of Paolo and Francesca.jpg,

Henry Fuseli Henry Fuseli ( ; German: Johann Heinrich Füssli ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his works, such as ''The Nightmare'', deal with supernatura ...

: ''Dante Observing the Soaring Souls of Paolo and Francesca'', pen and ink, c. 1800 File:Joseph Anton Koch - Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle in Hell.tif,

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: ''Dante and Virgil in the Second Circle in Hell'', pen, ink and watercolor on paper, 1823 File:Inf. 06 Giuseppe Frascheri, Dante e Virgilio incontrano Paolo e Francesca, 1846.jpg,

Giuseppe Fraschieri Giuseppe Fraschieri (1808–1886) was an Italian painter. He was born in Savona. He initially trained at the Accademia Ligustica of Genoa, but then, under a stipend of the city of Savona, he went to study in the studio of Giuseppe Bezzuoli in Flor ...

: ''Dante e Virgilio incontrano Paolo e Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1846 (Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Savona) File:Joseph Noel Paton - Dante Meditating.jpg,

Joseph Noel Paton Sir Joseph Noel Paton (13 December 1821 – 26 December 1901) was a Scottish artist, illustrator and sculptor. He was also a poet and had an interest in, and knowledge of, Scottish folklore and Celtic legends. Early life He was born in Woo ...

: ''Dante Meditating the Episode of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta'', oil on canvas, 1852 (

Bury Art Museum Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre, formerly known as Bury Museum and Art Gallery, is a public museum, archives, and art gallery in the town of Bury, Greater Manchester, northern England, owned by Bury Council. Built in 1901, the Museum's buil ...

) File:Dore Gustave Francesca and Paolo da Rimini Canto 5 73-75.jpg,

Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engraving ...

: ''The Souls of Paolo and Francesca'', wood-engraving, 1857 File:Gustave Doré - Paolo and Francesca da Rimini.jpg,

: ''The Souls of Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1863 File:Watts-Paolo and Francesca.jpg,

George Frederic Watts George Frederic Watts (23 February 1817, in London – 1 July 1904) was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. He said "I paint ideas, not things." Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical work ...

: ''Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1875 (

Watts Gallery Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts. The gallery has been Grade II* listed on th ...

, Surrey) File:Inf. 06 Mosè Bianchi, Paolo e Francesca, 1877c.jpg,

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: ''Paolo and Francesca'', watercolor and gold on paper, (

Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Milan The Galleria d'Arte Moderna is a modern art museum in Milan, in Lombardy in northern Italy. It is housed in the Villa Reale, at Via Palestro 16, opposite the Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli. The collection consists largely of Italian and Eur ...

) File:Henri Martin-Paolo Malatesta.jpg,

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: ''Paolo Malatesta et Francesca da Rimini aux enfers'', oil on canvas, 1883 (Musée des beaux-arts,

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the ...

) File:Francesca de Rimini Auguste Rodin.jpg,

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

: ''Group Francesca de Rimini '' File:Paolo et Francesca ou couple damné - Auguste Rodin (B 1153-bis-n).jpg,

: ''Paolo et Francesca'', or ''Couple damné'' (

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (french: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 1 ...

) File:Eugène Deully - Dante et Virgile aux Enfers.jpg, Eugène Deully: ''Dante et Virgile aux Enfers'', 1897 File:Amelia Bauerle - Paolo and Francesca.jpg,

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: ''Paolo and Francesca'', 1902 File:Umberto Boccioni - Il sogno (Paolo e Francesca).jpg,

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: ''Il sogno'', or ''Paolo e Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1909 (Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna,

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

) File:Gaetano Previati - Paolo e Francesca (1909).jpg,

Gaetano Previati Gaetano Previati (1852 – 1920) was an Italian Symbolist painter in the Divisionist style. Biography Previati was born in Ferrara. He relocated to Milan in 1876 and enrolled at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, studying under Giuseppe Bertini, Gi ...

: ''Paolo e Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1909 File:John Riley Wilmer - Paolo and Francesca.jpg, John Riley Wilmer: ''Paolo and Francesca'', watercolor, gouache and ink, 1930

Reception and legacy

Giovanni Boccaccio

In the years following Dante's portrayal of Francesca, legends about Francesca began to appear. Chief among them was one put forth by poet

Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...

in his commentary on the ''Divine Comedy'', '' Esposizioni sopra la Comedia di Dante.'' Boccaccio stated that Francesca had been tricked into marrying Giovanni through the use of Paolo as a proxy. Guido, fearing that Francesca would never agree to marry the crippled Giovanni, had supposedly sent for the much more handsome Paolo in Giovanni's stead. It wasn't until the morning after the wedding that Francesca discovered the deception. This version of events, however, is very likely a fabrication. It would have been nearly impossible for Francesca not to know who both Giovanni and Paolo were, and that Paolo was already married, given the dealings the brothers had had with Ravenna and Francesca's family. Also, Boccaccio was born in 1313, some 27 years after Francesca's death, and while many Dante commentators after Boccaccio echoed his version of events, none before him had mentioned anything similar.

Modern reception

In the 19th century, the story of Paolo and Francesca inspired numerous theatrical, operatic, and symphonic adaptations. In 2023, the musician Hozier released the single "Francesca" as part of his 2023 album ''

Unreal Unearth ''Unreal Unearth'' is the third studio album by Irish musician Hozier, released on 18 August 2023. It contains the singles "Eat Your Young" and "Francesca", along with the song "All Things End". Hozier is on a tour of Ireland, the UK and North A ...

''.

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Francesca da Rimini Francesca da Rimini or Francesca da Polenta (died between 1283 and 1286) was a medieval noblewoman of Ravenna, who was murdered by her husband, Giovanni Malatesta, upon his discovery of her affair with his brother, Paolo Malatesta. She was a co ...

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Primo Riccitelli Primo Riccitelli (9 August 1875 – 27 March 1941), was an Italian composer. One of six children, he was born in the village of Cognoli, Campli in the Abruzzo region of Italy. His father, Giuseppe, was a small landowner and his mother, Maria M ...

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', opera *

Riccardo Zandonai Riccardo Zandonai (28 May 1883 – 5 June 1944) was an Italian composer. Biography Zandonai was born in Borgo Sacco, Rovereto, then part of Austria-Hungary. As a young man, he showed such an aptitude for music that he entered the Pesaro Conserv ...

, ''

'', opera in four acts, libretto by Tito Ricordi, based on D'Annunzio (Turin 1914) *

Nino Berrini Nino or Niño may refer to: *Nino (name) *Niño (name) *Antonin Scalia, American Supreme Court justice whose nickname was "Nino" *El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean *NINO, an abbreviation for National Insurance number in the ...

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', play (1924) Rachmaninov Francesca da Rimini

Music

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

, "Farò come colui che piange e dice", aria (musical setting of ''Inferno'', Canto 5, lines 126ff., 1848) *

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', symphonic poem (1876) *

Arthur Foote Arthur William Foote (March 5, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts – April 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts) was an American classical composer, and a member of the "Boston Six." The other five were George Whitefield Chadwick, Amy Beach, Edward Mac ...

, Symphonic Prologue ''Francesca da Rimini'', Op. 24 (1890) *

Antonio Bazzini Antonio Bazzini (11 March 181810 February 1897) was an Italian violinist, composer and teacher. As a composer, his most enduring work is his chamber music, which earned him a central place in the Italian instrumental renaissance of the 19th cent ...

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', Symphonic Poem, Op. 77 (Berlin 1890) * Pierre Maurice, ''Francesca da Rimini'', Symphonic Poem, Op. 6 (1899) *

Paul von Klenau Paul August von Klenau (11 February 1883 in Copenhagen – 31 August 1946 in Copenhagen) was a Danish-born composer who worked primarily in Germany and Austria. Biography Klenau was born in Copenhagen, where he studied under Otto Malling. Already a ...

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', Symphonic Poem (1913, revised 1919) *

Olga Gorelli Olga Gorelli, (June 14, 1920 Bologna, Italy, died February 18, 2006) was well known for her musical talents as a composer and pianist. Life and career Olga Gorelli, maiden name Gratch, immigrated to the United States in 1937 with her family and s ...

, ''Paolo e Francesca'', guitar duo from the album ''Hausmusik. 20th Century Chamber Music for the Home'' (2000) *

Mediæval Bæbes The Mediæval Bæbes are a British musical ensemble founded in 1996 by Dorothy Carter and Katharine Blake. It included some of Blake's colleagues from the band Miranda Sex Garden, as well as other friends who shared her love of medieval music. ...

, "The Circle of the Lustful" from '' The Rose'' album (2002) *

Andrew Hozier-Byrne Andrew John Hozier-Byrne (born 17 March 1990), known mononymously as Hozier ( ), is an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul, and blues, often using religious and literary themes. He had his internati ...

, "Francesca" from

album (2023)

Film

* ''

Paolo e Francesca ''Paolo e Francesca'' (''Paolo and Francesca''), also known as ''Legend of Love'', is a 1950 Italian historical melodrama film directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and starring Odile Versois and Armando Francioli. It is loosely based on real life events ...

'', 1950 film by

Raffaello Matarazzo Raffaello Matarazzo (17 August 1909 – 17 May 1966) was an Italian filmmaker. Life Matarazzo started writing film reviews for the Roman newspaper ''Il Tevere'' before re-editing scripts for the Italian film company Cines. His first films w ...

Art

, ''Paolo and Francesca Surprised by Gianciotto'',

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

(1805; Thorvaldsen Museum,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

) *

Marie-Philippe Coupin de la Couperie Marie-Philippe Coupin de la Couperie (1773, Sèvres - 1851, Versailles (city), Versailles) was a French painter of the Troubadour style. He was a friend of the painter Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson. Among his patrons were Joséphine de B ...

, ''The Tragic Love of Francesca da Rimini'', oil on canvas (1812; Napoleonmuseum,

Arenberg Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a former county, principality and finally duchy that was located in what is now Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian noble family. History First mentioned in the 12th ...

) *

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

, ''

'', oil on canvas (1819;Musée des Beaux-Arts,

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the prov ...

, France) *

Ary Scheffer Ary Scheffer (10 February 179515 June 1858) was a Dutch-French Romantic painter. He was known mostly for his works based on literature, with paintings based on the works of Dante, Goethe, and Lord Byron, as well as religious subjects. He was als ...

, '' Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta Appraised by Dante and Virgil'', oil on canvas (1835;

Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built the extensive collection, along w ...

, London; an 1855 version is in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, Paris), and there are other versions *

, ''Francesca da Rimini'', several illustrations to

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

's ''Inferno'' (1857) *

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...

, '' Paolo and Francesca da Rimini'' (1862) *

Alexandre Cabanel Alexandre Cabanel (; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French painter. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter. According to ''Diccionario Enciclopedi ...

, ''The Death of Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta'', oil on canvas (1870;

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

, Paris) *

, ''Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas (between 1872 and 1884; private collection) *

, '' The Kiss'', marble sculpture (1888;

Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin ( en, Rodin Museum) in Paris, France, is a museum that was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, as ...

, Paris) File:Lux Musée national antonio canova paolo et francesca de rimini.JPG,

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cl ...

: ''Paolo et Francesca da Rimini'' (

National Museum of History and Art The National Museum of History and Art ( lb, Nationalmusée fir Geschicht a Konscht, french: Musée national d'histoire et d'art, german: Nationalmuseum für Geschichte und Kunst), abbreviated to MNHA, is a museum located in Luxembourg City, in ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

) File:William Dyce - Francesca da Rimini - Google Art Project.jpg,

William Dyce William Dyce (; 19 September 1806 in Aberdeen14 February 1864) was a Scottish painter, who played a part in the formation of public art education in the United Kingdom, and the South Kensington Schools system. Dyce was associated with the Pre-R ...

: ''Francesca da Rimini'', oil on canvas, 1837 (

Scottish National Gallery The Scottish National Gallery (formerly the National Gallery of Scotland) is the national art gallery of Scotland. It is located on The Mound in central Edinburgh, close to Princes Street. The building was designed in a neoclassical style by W ...

, Edinburgh) File:Anselm Feuerbach - Paolo und Francesca - Kunsthalle Mannheim.jpg,

Anselm Feuerbach Anselm Feuerbach (12 September 1829 – 4 January 1880) was a German painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applie ...

: ''Paolo und Francesca'', study, 1864 (

Kunsthalle Mannheim The Kunsthalle Mannheim is a museum of modern and contemporary art, built in 1907, established in 1909 and located in Mannheim, Germany. Since then it has housed the city's art collections as well as temporary exhibitions – and up to 1927 those ...

) File:Anselm Feuerbach - Paolo und Francesca (drawing).jpg,

: ''Paolo und Francesca'', sketch, 1864 File:Feuerbach Paolo und Francesca.jpg,

: ''Paolo und Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1864 (

Schackgalerie The Schackgalerie is a museum in Munich. It is one of the noted galleries in this city. The museum is under supervision of the Bavarian State Picture Collection. Collection In 1855, Adolf Friedrich von Schack settled in Munich and became a member ...

, Munich) File:Amos Cassioli - Paolo e Francesca.jpg,

Amos Cassioli Amos Cassiòli (10 August 1832 – 17 December 1891) was an Italian painter, of battle scenes, historical canvases and portraits. He worked in a Purismo style. Biography Cassioli was born in Asciano. After studying at the Sienese Academy of Fin ...

: ''Paolo e Francesca'' or ''Il Bacio'', 1870 File:Charles Edward Hallé - Paolo and Francesca 01.jpg,

Charles Edward Hallé Charles Edward Hallé (1846–1914), sometimes given as Edward Charles Hallé, was an English painter and gallery manager. He was a painter of history scenes, genre scenes, and portraits. Life Hallé was the son of Sir Charles Hallé, the Germ ...

: ''Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas File:Wiesiołowski - Francesca i Paolo 1885.jpg, Ludwik Wiesiołowski: ''Francesca i Paolo'', oil on canvas, 1885 File:Rodin TheKiss 20050609.JPG,

Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

's '' The Kiss'' (1888;

, Paris) was originally titled ''Francesca da Rimini'' File:Arnold Böcklin - Paolo und Francesca.jpg,

Arnold Böcklin Arnold Böcklin (16 October 182716 January 1901) was a Swiss symbolist painter. Biography He was born in Basel. His father, Christian Frederick Böcklin (b. 1802), was descended from an old family of Schaffhausen, and engaged in the silk tra ...

: ''Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1893 (Museum Oskar Reinhart,

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria), La ...

) File:Frank Dicksee - Paolo and Francesca.jpg,

Frank Dicksee Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee (27 November 1853 – 17 October 1928) was an English Victorian painter and illustrator, best known for his pictures of dramatic literary, historical, and legendary scenes. He also was a noted painter of portr ...

: ''Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1894 File:Joseph Anton Koch - Paolo da Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini surprised by Gianciotto Malatesta.tif,

: ''Paolo da Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini surprised by Gianciotto Malatesta'', pen, ink and watercolor on paper, 1805 (

Thorvaldsen Museum The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life (1796–1838). The museum is locat ...

) File:Bartolomeo Pinelli - La Franceschina di Rimini.jpg,

Bartolomeo Pinelli Bartolomeo Pinelli (November 20, 1781 – April 1, 1835) was an Italian illustrator and engraver. Life Pinelli was born and died in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome, the son of an artisan who modeled religious statues. Pinelli was educa ...

: ''La Franceschina di Rimini'', c. 1809 (

, Copenhagen) File:FrancescaCoupin.jpg,

: ''The Tragic Love of Francesca da Rimini'', 1812 (Napoleonmuseum,

Arenenberg Arenenberg is an estate with a small chateau, Schloss Arenenberg, in the municipality of Salenstein at the shore of Lake Constance in Thurgau, Switzerland that is famous as the final domicile of Hortense de Beauharnais. Today it houses the ''Napo ...

Constance Constance may refer to: Places *Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English *Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada * Constance, Kentucky * Constance, Minnesota * Constance (Portugal) * Mount Constance, Washington State People * Consta ...

) File:Gianciotto Discovers Paolo and Francesca Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres.jpg,

: ''Gianciotto Discovers Paolo and Francesca'', oil on canvas, 1819 (

Musée Bonnat The Musée Bonnat-Helleu is an art museum in Bayonne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The museum was created in 1901 when Bayonne-born painter Léon Bonnat gave his extensive personal collections of art – notably an exceptional drawing collection � ...

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

) File:Eugène Delacroix - Paolo et Francesca.jpg,

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...

: ''Paolo et Francesca'', watercolor, 1825 File:Alfred Elmore - Paolo and Francisca.jpg,

Alfred Elmore Alfred Elmore (1815–1881) was a British history and genre painter. Life Alfred Elmore was born in Clonakilty, Ireland, the son of John Richard Elmore, a surgeon who retired from the British Army to Clonakilty. His family moved to London, ...

: ''Paolo and Francisca'', brush drawing
(

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

) File:Gustave Doré - The Inferno, Canto 5-2.jpg,

: Illustration of ''Inferno'', Canto 5 (lines 134–135), 1857 File:Francisca de Rímini (Museo del Prado).jpg, Francisco Díaz Carreño: ''Francisca de Rímini'', oil on canvas, 1866 (

Prado The Prado Museum ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It migh ...

, Madrid) File:Alexandre cabanel, morte di francesca da rimini e paolo malatesta, 1870.JPG,

: ''Mort de Francesca de Rimini et de Paolo Malatesta'',
(

, Paris) File:Gaetano Previati - Paolo e Francesca (1887 ca.).jpg,

: ''Paolo e Francesca'', or ''Morte di Paolo e Francesca'', oil on canvas, c. 1887 (

Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti di Bergamo The Accademia Carrara, (), officially Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti di Bergamo, is an art gallery and an academy of fine arts in Bergamo, in Lombardy in northern Italy. The art gallery was established in about 1780 by , a Bergamasco collect ...

)

Notes

References

General references

* Mason, A. E. W. (1935). ''Sir George Alexander & The St. James' Theatre''. Reissued 1969, New York: Benjamin Blom. *

External links

''World of Dante''
multimedia website that includes gallery of images of the Paolo and Francesca episode

includes images of related artworks
''The Story of Rimini''
Google Books edition of Leigh Hunt's poem * Website of th

at the Centro Internazionale di Studi Francesca da Rimini, Los Angeles (includin

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rimini, Francesca da 1255 births 1285 deaths 13th-century Italian nobility 13th-century Italian women Assassinated Italian people Assassinated nobility Da Polenta family Characters in the Divine Comedy Medieval assassinated people

Life and death

In Dante's ''Divine Comedy''

Reception and legacy

Giovanni Boccaccio

Modern reception

Related works

Poetry

Theatre and opera

Music

Film

Art

Notes

References

General references

Further reading

External links