The Submission of Emperor Barbarossa to Pope Alexander the Third
Frederick Barbarossa reigned as the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. A gifted leader, he sought to restore glory to the German Kingdom. During his reign he undertook six campaigns in Italy and attempted to set up his own Pope. These actions led Pope Alexander III to excommunicate him. This painting is set in Venice, 1177, following Barbarossa’s heavy defeat in Milan. He is shown kneeling at the feet of Pope Alexander, submitting to his mercy.
Born in Plymouth, Solomon Hart served as an engraver’s apprentice in London where he studied at the Royal Academy and excelled in miniature painting. Hart became celebrated as a painter of historical scenes and characters. In 1840, he became the first Jewish Academician. In 1854, he was appointed professor of Painting in the Royal Academy, and subsequently librarian until his death in 1881.
