3-002-481 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Virgin and Child, c1720-1725. The use of forceful chiaroscuro (modeling in light and shade) is characteristic of Tiepolo's images of the Madonna and Child that were intended for private devotion. There is an element of melancholy in the way in which the Virgin embraces her son. This suggests that they both perceive his future fate, and the motif alludes to the traditional image of the Pietà, in which the Virgin mourns over the body of her dead son. She is often shown near or against a column, which here is meant to convey her nobility and strength.