Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696–1770) Giambattista Tiepolo made this final preparatory study for a large illusionistic
fresco that covered the ceiling of the Scalzi church in Venice. The fresco was destroyed by bombing in World War I. According to a fifteenth-century legend, when the Virgin Mary's house in
Nazareth came under threat by invading
Saracen armies, it was miraculously transported in 1291 from the Holy Land to Loreto, a small town on Italy's Adriatic coast.
Using an oval shape, Tiepolo painted the scene in three parts, depicting the figures in the lowest register in large scale and those near the top much smaller in size. This technique, called
di sotto in sù (from below upward) gives the viewer the illusion that the scene is an extension of his space: the ceiling of the church opens up to reveal the events of the miracle. In the upper register, painted in golden hues, God the Father and the dove of the
Holy Spirit preside amidst a chorus of music-making angels. The central area of the canvas features the Virgin and Child and the Holy House borne aloft by angels. Saint Joseph, with his arms raised overhead, accompanies them. On the right, three trumpeting angels announce the event. In the lowest register, closest to the viewer's space, a
mass of dark figures personifying evil recoil and fall away from the Holy House. Other figures, some wearing turbans and carrying weapons symbolizing the invading Saracens, watch from the periphery.
High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
Giclee Prints are printed on 250 gsm Matte Paper with the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within this paper size and includes a small white border. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.
All of our images are digitized from the original or negative.
Questions? Please email service@archivea.com.
Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.
