Author: Giambattista Tiepolo
Century: XVIII°
Church: Church of Sant’Alvise
DATE: 1737-1740 ca.
POSITION: right wall of the nave (on map n°10)
MEASUREMENT: 450×194 cm
METHOD: oil painting
The church of Sant’Alvise hosts three works by Tiepolo, Crowning with Thorns, Flagellation, and the Ascent to Calvary; the first two are respectively located in the nave on the right, and the third on the presbytery.
The three paintings were done from around 1737 to 1740 at the peak of the artist’s maturity, completed immediately after the frescos in the Church of the Gesuati, works with which his name became firmly established in the city. During these years the artist achieves an outstanding richness of color and an equally extraordinary compositional freedom even more evident in the frescoes than the paintings on canvas.
The works of Sant’Alvise, clearly inspired by the 16th century model, are significant both in terms of composition and color.
The central canvas placed on the presbytery is certainly, among the three, the most openly dramatic. The Crowning and the Flagellation were both carried out on an architectural background, introduced with small staircases, and have groups of people who observe the scene. In both cases, the suffering figure of Christ stands out in the background and gives a highly emotional impact.
