Meeting of the Betrothed Couple & Departure of the Pilgrims

The Meeting of the Betrothed Couple and the Departure of the Pilgrims is a painting in Vittore Carpaccio's St. Ursula Cycle. Vittore Carpaccio, born in Venice in a family of sea men, learned under Gentile Bellini. He morphed into his own style, portraying and narrating religious scene through paintings. The collection focused on the life and legacy of St. Ursula through all stages, but set in Venice. It was funded by the scuola piccola of Sant' Orsola, which included a diverse membership from all of Venice, including artisans and merchants. According to Elizabeth Rodini, the cycle of St. Ursula dives into the role and complexities of the institution of marriage during this time in Italy [1]. Carpaccio critiques the nature of marriage and how it overly defined the citizens of Venice. Carpaccio depicts in the Meeting of the Betrothed Couple & Departure of the Pilgrims a scene of traditional Venetian betrothal practices. The hair maintanence along with the traveling in gondolas is synonomous with Venice’s wedding practices. The image contains a variety of stories of St. Ursula’s relationship to Prince Etherius, as they are betrothed to one another, then get married, then bid her father goodbye as they embark on their journey. This story, yet set in England, is depicted in the marine city of Venice, Carpaccio’s homeland. This is due to his devotion to the city, which he incorperates into his artworks. Carpaccio utilizes the narrative of St. Ursula to depict the power matrimony has, as marriages impact social status.

[1] Elizabeth Rodini, "The Politics of Marriage in Carpaccio's St. Ursula Cycle," Early Modern Women 8 (2013): 86

Vittore Carpaccio (Venice, Italy 1460-1526)

Brody, Michael J. "Religious Subjects on Sixteenth-Century Deruta Piatti Da Pompa." In Domestic Devotions in Early Modern Italy, edited by Corry Maya, Faini Marco, and Meneghin Alessia, 187-219. LEIDEN; BOSTON: Brill, 2019.

Rodini, Elizabeth. "The Politics of Marriage in Carpaccio's St. Ursula Cycle." Early Modern Women 8 (2013): 85-117.

“Vittore Carpaccio (Italian, about 1460 - 1526) (Getty Museum).” The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. Getty Conservation Research Foundation. Accessed September 4, 2020. http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/790/vittore-carpaccio-italian-about-1460-1526/.

Image Source: Vittore Carpaccio. 1495. Scenes from the Life of Saint Ursula. Meeting of the Betrothed Couple and the Departure of the Pilgrims. painting. Place: Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_1039488910.

Scuola di Sant’Orsola

Image Source: Vittore Carpaccio. 1495. Scenes from the Life of Saint Ursula. Meeting of the Betrothed Couple and the Departure of the Pilgrims. painting. Place: Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia. https://library.artstor.org/asset/SCALA_ARCHIVES_1039488910.

1495

Carmel Falek

(c) 2006, SCALA, Florence/ART RESOURCE, N.Y.

Oil on canvas, 280.0 cm x 611.0 cm

Painting

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, Italy