In “Federigo’s Falcon” by Boccaccio, the theme is making an exceptional sacrifice in an attempt to gain an unattainable love. The story is very comparable to the painting A Gentleman in Adoration before Madonna by Giovanni Moroni. In the story Federigo is faced with loving someone who does not love him back. This leads him to make the decision to sacrifice the falcon that he loves as the dinner to be served for his love. Within the painting is a woman who is holding a child, and pleading to a man for help of some type. This is very similar to Federigo’s Falcon where Monna, the woman who Federigo is in love with, is convinced that Federigo’s falcon can save her sick son. In an attempt to save him, she unexpectedly arrives at Federigo’s house to request the falcon. Federigo, surprised by her unexpected showing, makes that rash decision to kill his bird, roast it, and serve it to his guest. Much like the story, the woman appears to be uncomfortable, but desperate, and the man, like Federigo is her last hope. Ultimately the story and the painting connect on the basis that a mother will do whatever she needs to do to save their child, and that sometimes humans make decisions for instant satisfaction, without first analyzing the possible consequences.
Giovanni Battista Moroni. A Gentleman in Adoration before Madonna. 1560. Oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.
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