BENVENUTI, Pietro
(b. 1769, Arezzo, d. 1844, Firenze)

The Oath of the Saxons

1812
Oil on canvas, 380 x 480 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence

Benvenuti's career flourished during the French rule in Italy (1796-1814). In 1809 Napoleon awarded him his most prestigious commission, The Oath of the Saxons - a record of the victory at Jena in 1806 - which was destined for Versailles.