FG FINE ART LTD
Giambattista Tiepolo
Venice, 1696 - Madrid, 1770
This charming canvas depicting Saint Roch should be associated with a group of paintings of similar dimensions, all featuring the same saint, created by Giambattista Tiepolo. The existence of these works was first reported by Morassi in 1950. These paintings, belonging to various private collections, were listed by the historian, who counted thirteen pieces. According to him, these works represented “variations of a theme, full of imagination and surprise: they demonstrate how a great artist can create and recreate the same subject without repeating himself".
Saint Roch
Oil on canvas, 44.7 x 33 cm
Provenance
Private collection
In 1962 Morassi, advancing in his research, identified a total of eighteen autograph canvases. That same year, Rizzi added another one to the count. Additionally, two more works were published for the first time by Gemin and Pedrocco in 1993. These additions further expand our understanding of Giambattista’s exploration of Saint Roch, emphasizing the artist’s ability to produce multiple interpretations of a single theme while keeping each piece fresh and innovative. The inclusion of these new works has enriched the historical record, offering a fuller picture of Giambattista’s creative output and his mastery of the genre. The ongoing study of this group highlights not only the artist’s versatility but also the enduring appeal of the Saint Roch motif in his repertoire.
The reason for the existence of such a large number of works in this series and the popularity of the subject was explained by Morassi through the idea that the members of the Venetian confraternity dedicated to Saint Roch might have commissioned Tiepolo these paintings. This request would have likely been made after his successful display of one of his early works, Submersio Pharaonis, at the celebration of their patron saint in 1716, which had received unanimous acclaim. It is believed that the confreres may have asked Tiepolo to create a series of devotional paintings featuring the revered image of Saint Roch, the patron saint of their brotherhood.
In fact, further supporting the existence of this tradition among the members of the confraternity is the observation that numerous works on the same subject are also found in the catalogues of other contemporary Venetian painters, such as Pittoni and Sebastiano Ricci. These painters, much like Tiepolo, were commissioned to create works that served as personal devotional pieces for the members of the same confraternity. This practice highlights not only the deep religious devotion of the time but also the shared role of art in the spiritual and communal life of the confraternity. The popularity of Saint Roch as a subject was, therefore, not simply an artistic choice but also a reflection of the religious needs and traditions of the period, where the creation of such devotional paintings held both personal and community significance.
An immediate comparison can be made with the Saint Roch of the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie in Besançon, of which it seems to be a complete mirror image (fig. 1), sharing even more the physiognomy of the saint, in addition to the choice of the chromatic scale. Both paintings are in fact distinguished by its use of chiaroscuro, with dramatic contrasts between light and shadow that heighten the emotional intensity of the scene. The meticulous attention to detail in the figure’s attire and the rocky ground adds a sense of realism, while the colour palette, dominated by earthy tones, with the blue of the robe providing a striking contrast, drawing immediate attention. The background features a sparse, undisturbed landscape, just accentuated and similar to that in Philadelphia Museum of Art, serving to direct the viewer’s focus toward the central figure and the unfolding action, emphasizing the subject’s prominence and narrative significance.
The exceptional quality of the work is evident not only in the refined brushwork but also in the innovative approach to the depiction of the figure, which distinguishes it from other representations of the same subject. In terms of stylistic elements, our canvas can also be closely compared to the Saint Roch Kneeling with His Back to Us, now in the Von Panwitz collection, as well as to the Saint Roch Sitting, which is part of the collection at the Fogg Art Museum in Cambridge and was formerly part of the Heinemann collection in New York. Both works exhibit a similar treatment of the figure and a comparable handling of space, demonstrating a shared artistic vision that reflects the artist’s mastery of form and his ability to create variations on a central theme. The stylistic parallels between these pieces suggest a cohesive and deliberate exploration of the Saint Roch subject within the artist’s oeuvre, characterized by thoughtful compositional choices and a distinctive approach to the figure’s posture and presentation. This coherence, together with the high level of craftsmanship evident in our canvas, reinforces its place within this important group of works.
The dating suggested by Morassi for this series of paintings, which places the creation of the artwork between 1730 and 1735, seems to be more convincing when compared to the alternative proposed by Pallucchini. The latter confines the production of these small canvases to a much narrower timeframe, between 1732 and 1733. However, scholars like Keith Christiansen lend further support to the earlier dating, affirming that this particular canvas, too, belongs to the early 1730s[3]. Given the stylistic and historical context, Morassi’s broader timeframe accounts for a greater range of influences that may have shaped the artist’s work during this period. Christiansen’s endorsement of the 1730s further reinforces the idea that the artist was immersed in the evolving stylistic trends of that decade.
A full fact sheet is available on request.