Artwork
Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon
Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. It dates from 1744 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
The canvas concludes Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s four‑panel narrative series, depicting the moment the knight Rinaldo returns to the crusader ranks. He steps ashore on the Palestinian coast after being ferried from Armida’s island, while an elderly sorcerer from Ascalon brandishes a luminous shield that reflects the heroic lineage of Rinaldo’s forebears.
Subject & Meaning
The scene emphasizes Raldino’s renewed commitment to duty: unlike earlier episodes, the young knight is portrayed with a resolute focus, ready to rejoin the battle. The magician’s display of ancestral deeds serves as a moral prompt, urging Rinaldo to embody the legacy of his ancestors and presenting a model of civic responsibility for the patron family.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, Tiepolo employs rapid, fluid brushwork that gives the shield’s reflections a shimmering quality. The palette is vivid and the handling loose, creating a sense of immediacy and movement. The storm‑laden sky and dark waves contrast with the bright armor, heightening the drama without relying on meticulous detail.
History & Provenance
Commissioned as part of a decorative suite for a private patron, the painting formed the final installment of the Rinaldo narrative. The work remained in the family’s collection for generations before entering the public domain, where it is now displayed as a key example of Tiepolo’s late decorative commissions.
Context
The narrative draws on the chivalric romance of Rinaldo, a figure from the epic poem "Orlando Furioso," and reflects 18th‑century interest in heroic mythologies. Tiepolo’s choice to conclude the series with a scene of moral resolve aligns with contemporary Enlightenment ideals that prized civic virtue and the emulation of ancestral honor.
Own this work as a print
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.
Armida Abandoned by Rinaldo
Aethra Showing her Son Theseus the Place Where his Father had Hidden his Arms
The Generosity of Scipio
Queen Zenobia Addressing Her Soldiers
Jephthah returning from Battle is greeted by his Daughter
Queen Zenobia before the Emperor Aurelian
Enthaltsamkeit des Scipio
Alexander the Great and Roxana