Sigismunda Mourning over the Heart of Guiscardo

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Sigismunda Mourning over the Heart of Guiscardo is an oil painting by British artist William Hogarth, finished in 1759. It shows a dramatic moment from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron: Sigismunda mourning over the heart of her murdered husband, Guiscardo. The painting measures about 100 by 126 centimeters and is in the Tate Gallery, London. Hogarth created it as the main piece of eight works he showed in 1761, hoping to establish himself as a history painter.

In the scene, Sigismunda sits at an ornate wooden table, wearing a pearl tiara and flowing silk. She holds a golden cup that contains Guiscardo’s heart. Guiscardo, a servant in Sigismunda’s father Prince Tancred of Salerno’s court, married Sigismunda secretly. When Tancred learned of the marriage, he ordered Guiscardo’s murder and had his heart sent to Sigismunda in a golden cup. Sigismunda weeps at the truth and, in the story, poisons the cup that holds the heart and drinks the poison herself.

Hogarth had long been interested in the Sigismunda story, which was popular in English versions and on the stage. He painted this piece for Sir Richard Grosvenor, hoping to show he could rival the Italian Old Masters. He also added a little self-referential touch by including a small figure carved in the table leg, perhaps linking himself to the old masters.

The painting was controversial. Critics said Hogarth was foolish to try to imitate older Italian drama, and some found the contrast between Sigismunda’s calm beauty and the bloody heart shocking. Horace Walpole called it overblown, and others dismissed it as unreal. After about ten days, Hogarth replaced it in the exhibition with another work. He did not sell the painting then and even considered making engravings of it, but the project failed.

The work changed hands over the years. Hogarth’s patron ultimately lost interest, and the painting passed through several owners before being bought by John Boydell and later donated to the Tate Gallery in 1879. Today, it is recognized for its bold ambition and its vivid tellings of love, betrayal, and tragedy, as well as for changes Hogarth made during and after its creation. Some visible alterations, or pentimenti, show how the painting was adjusted, including changes to Sigismunda’s fingers and other details.