Artwork
Transfiguration
Transfiguration is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo painted an oil work on panel around 1530 that depicts the biblical Transfiguration of Christ. The painting is part of the Uffizi Gallery’s collection in Florence, where it is displayed alongside a preparatory drawing by the same artist.
Subject & Meaning
The composition illustrates the moment from the Gospel when Jesus is transformed before his disciples, a theme frequently explored in Renaissance religious art to convey divine revelation and the intersection of the earthly and heavenly realms.
Technique & Style
Savoldo employed oil on wood, a medium that allowed him to render subtle lighting effects and fine details characteristic of his meticulous approach. The handling of light and atmospheric perspective reflects the artist’s interest in naturalistic observation.
History & Provenance
In addition to the finished panel, Savoldo’s preparatory drawing remains in the Uffizi. A related study is held in the Pontus de la Gardia collection in Switzerland, and a late‑16th‑century copy made by Lomazzo is preserved in Milan’s Pinacoteca Ambrosiana.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo, also called Girolamo da Brescia (c. 1480–1485 – after 1548), was an Italian High Renaissance painter active mostly in Venice, although he also worked in other cities in northern Italy. He is…
