Artwork
Mary with Child
Mary with Child is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1733 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted the work known as *Mary with Child* in 1733. Executed in oil on canvas, the composition presents the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus in a close, domestic setting. The painting is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it is displayed among the museum’s Baroque holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures a moment of maternal tenderness: Mary rests her right hand lightly on her forehead while her left arm supports the child, who reaches outward with his right hand. The gesture suggests a blend of devotion and playful affection, emphasizing the human bond between mother and son within a sacred context.
Technique & Style
Tiepolo employs strong chiaroscuro, setting the figures against a deep, almost black background that isolates them from any surrounding detail. This contrast enhances the volumetric modeling of flesh and drapery, giving the figures a three‑dimensional presence. The soft transitions of light and the delicate handling of color convey a warm, intimate atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Created in the early 1730s, the painting entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings during the museum’s 19th‑century acquisitions of Italian Baroque art. Its provenance prior to that period is not extensively documented, but the work has remained in the museum’s collection, contributing to its representation of Tiepolo’s religious output.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an important member of the 18th-century Venetian school.
