An artwork on Galleree from The Art Institute of Chicago.
About the artwork
Armida Encounters the Sleeping RinaldoGiovanni Battista Tiepolo
Italian, 1696–1770
1742/45
Italy
187.5 × 216.8 cm (73 13/16 × 85 3/8 in.); Framed: 194.8 × 223.5 × 8.3 cm (76 1/2 × 88 × 3 1/4 in.)
Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Deering
['Century of Progress', "world's fairs", "Chicago World's Fairs", 'sleep', 'love', 'animals', 'horses', 'shields', 'plants', 'dresses', 'armor', 'soldiers', 'trees', 'goddesses', 'women', 'men', 'cherubs', 'mythology', 'mythological figures']
['oil on canvas', 'painting', 'european painting']
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s monumental ceiling and wall decorations epitomize the brilliant exuberance of the late Baroque style. Tiepolo enjoyed an international career and was called upon to use his mastery of light, color, and illusion to transform palaces and monasteries in his native Venice and elsewhere in Italy, as well as in Germany and Spain. This painting and three others at the Art Institute, together with smaller decorative panels and a ceiling painting, once graced the cabinet of mirrors, a richly decorated room in the Venetian palace of the powerful Cornaro family. The suite illustrates Torquato Tasso’s popular sixteenth-century epic romance Jerusalem Delivered, which is set in the eleventh century, during the First Crusade, when Western knights sought to take Jerusalem from the Muslims. The canvas captures the moment of Rinaldo’s seduction: the beautiful sorceress Armida has just arrived to divert the sleeping hero from his crusade. Accompanied by her attendant nymph and a cupid figure, she appears like a beautiful mirage, enthroned on a billowing cloud, her drapery and shawl wafting gently behind her. Altough Tasso’s story symbolizes the conflict between love and duty, Tiepolo’s depiction of a magical, bucolic world—enhanced by effervescent colors, luminous atmosphere, and dense, creamy paint—seems to evoke only love’s enchantment.
| attributed to Art Institute of Chicago under CC-By license
In a tranquil room, where whispers of history linger, the ceiling and walls reveal Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s masterful work, a symphony of late Baroque exuberance that stretches across the ages. Imagine entering a space where light dances and colors leap, each stroke of the brush a testament to the artist’s unparalleled ability to weave illusion into reality.
Tiepolo’s journey spiraled across continents, highlighting his brilliance not just in the palaces of his native Venice but also beyond, where his artistry breathed life into grand monasteries in Italy and resonated in the illustrious halls of Germany and Spain. These artworks, including one vibrant canvas and three companions now residing in the Art Institute, once adorned the cabinet of mirrors—a temple of elegance built by the powerful Cornaro family in Venice.
As you explore the suite, a story unfolds, inspired by the epic romance of Torquato Tasso. Set against the backdrop of the First Crusade in the eleventh century, this tale chronicles the fervent struggle of Western knights striving to seize Jerusalem. Here, amidst the swirling clouds of Tiepolo’s artistry, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment: Rinaldo, the hero, lays asleep, unaware of the beautiful sorceress Armida, who has arrived to weave her spell.
Picture Armida, surrounded by an ethereal nymph and the delicate figure of Cupid, as they drift upon a billowing cloud. Her presence is enchanting; she appears like a mirage, her elegant shawl and drapery fluttering like whispers carried on a gentle breeze. Tasso’s narrative presents the universal conflict of love and duty, yet Tiepolo, with his vibrant palette and creamy textures, invites us into a bucolic world where love reigns supreme, leaving behind any notion of struggle.
This graceful portrayal of seduction serenades the viewers, transforming the grand room into a sanctuary of enchantment and beauty, where the soul feels light and hearts resonate with love’s enchanting call.
About the artist
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