TIEPOLO, Giovanni Battista
(b. 1696, Venezia, d. 1770, Madrid)

The Investiture of Herold as Duke of Franconia

1751
Fresco, 400 x 500 cm
Imperial Hall of the Residenz, Würzburg

The Emperor sits on a golden throne, flanked by statue of Hercules and Minerva, and holds his sceptre out towards Bishop Herold, who touches it with his fingers he takes the oath. To the left and right of the throne, secular and ecclesiastical dignitaries are represented in ceremonial dress, including the Imperial Chancellor, who reads aloud the deed of Investiture, and the Imperial Marshall, who holds up his unsheathed sword. The architecture in the background conforms to a pictorial motif inspired by Veronese and often used by Tiepolo in his paintings in order to give the scene a festive setting.