Tiepolo a Vicenza



Pinacoteca di Palazzo Chiericati - Vicenza
Tiepolo's works kept in this picture-gallery are three: "L'immacolata concezione" and "Il Tempo ch sopre la veritã " by Giambattista and the "La Decollazione del Battista" by Giandomenico. "L'Immacolata Concezione" comes from the s pendid church of Ara Coeli designed at the end of the Seventeenth century. This piece had adorned the Crucifi0 Altar until puchased by the Earl Barbieri in 1830. This painting, dating back to appro0imately 1735, shows all its magnificence in the silver dr ess and in the blue mantle of the Virgin Mary. The colour vary from a very light azure to dark blue. The red cloak of the angels at the right of the Virgin shades into yellow. The painting of "Il Tempo scopre la Veritã " comes from Cordellina's country hou se of Montecchio Maggiore and is nearly contemporary with the frescoes of this same villa (1743/44). Remo Schiavo states that this painting was placed onto the ceiling of the pronaos. The theme is very frequent in Tiepolo's works and in this case it is pe rfectly related with the subjects of the frescoes of Montecchio. The picture is focused on the figure of the naked woman; as it is mentioned by Andreina Ballarin in the catalogue of the picture-gallery, she "almost cancels the rather gruesome zones of thi s Illuminist "moral", that is the "ancient" fleshes of the old man representing Time, the scythe, the sand-glass, the hero's wreck". "La Decollazione di San Giovanni Battista" had been attributed to Giambattista Tiepolo until 1910; it is the only painting by Giandomenico kept in the museum. The emotional centre of the picture is the Saint's face enlightened by a divine light. The figure of the Baptist is opposed to that of the e0ecutioner and the darkness of the place increases the emotion.



Villa Cordellina Lombardi - Montecchio Maggiore
Carlo Cordellina wanted that the work of Massari was decorated by the greatest Venetian painter of the century, Giambattista Tiepolo.
Tiepolo had worked in this villa during 1743, as it is shown in a letter of his own sent to his friend Algarotti.
In this same letter the artist wrote to have made good progress at the end of October 1743 and to finish the cycle of frescoes on 10th or 12th of the following month.
According to Remo Schiavo, curator of the villa, the ceiling of the pronaos would have been adorned by an oil-painting representing "Time unveiling Truth". At the present this painting is kept in the picture gallery of Chiericati Mansion at Vicenza (see the paragraph concerning the Municipal Museum). Giambattista Tiepolo decorated the main hall e0tolling the figure of Carlo Cordellina, great lawyer; therefore this picture, now kept in the Museum, could represent an ideal prologue to the frescoes of the interiors.
The pin of Tiepolo's "speech", that is "Intelligence triumphing over Ignorance", is shown on the ceiling of the main hall. Intelligence enlightens men: this figure is coming down (wind is swelling her dresses), enters the room an enlightens the actions not only of Scipio and Ale0ander (the two characters of the side frescoes), but also of the landlord himself.
At the e0tremity of the ceiling Ignorance shot by a putto is failing down, whereas Fame (a winged figure blowing a trumpet) heralds the coming of Intelligence.
On the right wall the victorious emperor Ale0ander the Great receives the family of the defeated Darius. The scene acquires a theatrical atmosphere: an imploring woman with open arms seems to start singing an opera aria; another woman tries to seduce the victor uncovering her breast; the young woman is attracted by something or somebody being not in view; a child wants to play, but the old woman is holding him fast.
Ale0ander does not let himself be influenced and he grants the freedom to the noble personages with an action of great wisdom.
On the opposite wall another fresco represents the continence of Scipio the Elder: the hero sitting on his throne reunits the defeated Aluccio to his fiancée. Notice the splendid dress of the young woman, the chromatic hues of clothes, the people crowding to attend the event.
In the lower part, at the left of the picture, there is the author's signature: Gio.Batta Tiepolo.
The sky painted on the ceiling and on the walls seems to break the limits of the villa bringing into infinite spaces.
Above the side doors of the main hall some monochromatic frescoes represent the allegories of the four continents: Europe with a crown, Africa with an elephant head, Asia holding a plant in her hand and the naked America. On the ceiling other pictures show the allegories of Music, Poetry, War and Politics. Moreover this villa had a very rich picture-gallery carried out by Cordellina; at present most pictures are kept in the rooms of Chiericati Mansion.



Museo Civico - Bassano del Grappa
The Municipal Museum of Bassano keeps one of the greatest collections of drawings of Venetian artists; especially the "Corpus di disegni Riva" includes some works of the greatest authors, particularly of Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo. Moreover, in the picture-gallery there is a painting by Gianbattista Tiepolo dating back to appro0imately 1731/32 a nd representing the event of "Circoncisione". There is also a splendid painting representing the "Madonna con Bambino" by Giandomenico Tiepolo. The child is moving and caressing his mother's face. The Virgin has a sweet, tender look symboliz ing the motherly love.



Chiesa S. Maria Maddalena - Rampazzo di Camisano Vicentino
The paintings representing "the Apotheosis of St. Gaetano Thiene" is contemporaneous of the frescoes of Villa Valmarana (1757) and it was ordered by the Thiene family. The little church appearing in this painting reminds the working to built the parish church ordered by the same saint. St. Gaetano is reaching God lifted from the clouds. As remarked by Remo Schiavo, the artist prefers the "soft, light, rosy hues, as in the frescoes of Villa Valmarana punctually reminded by the silk clothes and the soft Putti".



Villa Loschi Zileri dal Verme ora Motterle - Biron di Monteviale
In 1734 Nicolò Loschi, a Vicenza nobleman, renewed his manor at Biron (now in the commune of Monteviale).
The design of the new building was preparated by Francesco Muttoni, a Ticino architect working in Vicenza since the end of the previous century. Then the interiors of this villa were frescoed by the forty-year-old Giambattista Tiepolo who adorned the walls of the great staircase and of the main hall with splendid figures.
According to the critics, Tiepolo's works at Biron started the mature phase of this production.
The figures conceived by the Master have an allegoric character.
The ceiling of the great staircase shows a theme also represented in Villa Cordellina at Montecchio: that is, "Time unveiling Truth".
Time is shown as a winged old man raising a white cloth and unveiling a splendid naked woman lying down on the clouds. At the side of this scene a putto is holding Time's sandglass, whereas other two are approching the unveild Truth. In a corner the dark figure of Lie is falling downwards.
The walls of the stairs are adorned by the two "false" statues of Merit and Nobility. Merit is a bearded old man holding a hook in his hand, whereas the other allegory is shown as a woman holding a small statue of the goddess Minerva. Both these figures are represented as standing inside two niches.
Climbing the stairs, after Merit you can see another fresco representing "Watch triumphing over Sleep". Watch is barefooted woman uncovering her breast; under her Sleep is lying down on the ground. The chromatic shades of blue are wonderful. Two putti are picking some grapes from a vine.
Opposite this picture another fresco shows "Innocence driving away Deception".
A barebreasted young woman holding a lamb with her left hand is driving away an old man with legs shaped as snake's tail.
The ceiling of the main hall celebrates "Glory among Virtues". Fame is blowing the trumpet to herald the arrival of Glory, shown as a bright an golden figure. She is surrounded by the other virtues: Justice holding sword and scales, Fortress wearing an armour, Temperance and at last Prudence. Clouds create a perspective space so that the sky seems to rise beyond the limits of the ceiling.
The ceiling also shows the allegories of Intelligence and Valour. The first one is represented by a winged young man with helmet and bow, whereas valour is a bearded man stroking a lion and holding a laurel crown in his right hand.
On the side walls some frames contain other allegories. "Matrimonial Harmony" is symbolized by a man and a woman with their necks tied by a double golden chain joined by a heart held by the male figure. At the foot of this scene a putto is playing with a splendid white dog.
"Humility driving away Arrogance" is shown as a young woman simply dressed in front of whom a haughty and arrogant female figure holding a peacock and a mirror is walking.
In the picture representing "Liberality dispensing gifts" a woman is taking some jewels from a tray held by a boy and offering them to some children.
The last scene shows a handsome young man sitting, that is "Honour", being crowned with laurels by "Virtue" shown as a winged figure.



Chiesa dei Santi Vito, Modesto, Crescenzia - Noventa Vicentina
The eighteenth century church of Noventa Vicentina is adorned with the altar-piece dedicated to "S. Rocco e S. Sebastiano" placed on a side altar. This oil-painting dates back to the years 1758/60. The realism of the paralytic old woman is opposed to the figures of the two saints: the wounded Sebastian bound to the tree is looking at the invalid, whereas Rocco is standing and looking upwards, towards the Heaven.



Chiesa di S. Stefano - Vicenza
In this church the tabernacle of the high altar is adorned with three painting s by Giandomenico Tiepolo. They probably date back to the years 1758/60. The pictures in golden monochrome represent "S. Pierto", "S. Giovanni battista" and "La Resurrezione". The first two works can be ascribed to Giandomenico, whereas the third and part iculary the picture showing the soldiers hit by the divine light are his father''s creation.