The Glorification of the Barbaro Family

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

ca. 1750 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

Once part of a ceiling decoration at Venice’s Palazzo Barbaro, this painting was never intended to be seen head-on or at such close range. The mental leaps necessary to reimagine it high overhead, however, replicates Tiepolo’s process: through drawings and oil sketches that solved issues of color distribution, composition, perspective, and his patron’s approval, Tiepolo foresaw highly site-specific demands. The trumpet, outstretched arm, and foreshortened central figure gave the false impression that the ceiling opened to the sky. Tiepolo was adept at allegorizing his patrons through figures that include Valor, Fame, and Glory.

Artist

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Date

ca. 1750

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Anonymous Gift, in memory of Oliver H. Payne, 1923