We see from this tree that Giacomo was a man of eminence, a brother of a doge, and the father of two doges of the republic of Genoa. His personality is of particular interest to the Germans, as his nearest relations play an important part in Schiller’s great tragedy, ‘The Conspiracy of Fiesco.’ His cousins Vettor and Nicolò settled in Chioggia, and, probably on the occasion of a visit to his relatives, Titian painted his portrait. Signor Doria is not certain as to the signification of the dates occurring in this tree, probably they mean the year of birth. Mr. Cook puts the portrait about the year 1523, but I am afraid it will have to be put to a considerably later date. ¶ This is all we can do in Venice; for further information about Giacomo one would have to search the documents in the archives of Genoa. ¶ Curiously enough, Mr. Cook has not a word to say about the arms which one can faintly recognize in the upper left-hand corner of the reproduction. I give below the arms of the Genoese Dorias, and those of the Dorias of Chioggia. ¶ From what I am able to make out, the arms represented on the picture are the Genoese arms. I shall be happy to search for arms occurring on Italian portraits in English collections, and collect information about the persons represented, if printed books fail to give the necessary help.
Yours truly,
GIOVANNI DE PELLEGRINI.
Studio Araldico, Campo San Maurizio,
Venice.
No. 1 is the shield of the Dorias of Genoa, taken from ‘Il Annuario della Nobiltà Italiana.’
Nos. 2, 3, 4 are shields of the Dorias of Chioggia; No. 2 is carved on a house in the calle di S. Nicolò at Chioggia; No. 3 is carved in the town hall of Chioggia and on a house on the Canal Lombardo; No. 4 is carved in marble on a chimney of the casa Doria at S. Andrea. All three shields are given in the Ravagnan MS. belonging to the municipality of Chioggia.
Walker & Cockerell Ph. Sc.
The Great Executioner, from the mezzotint by Prince Rupert after Spagnoletto, in the collection of His Majesty the King.