The Virgin Appearing to St Philip Neri 1740

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted ‘The Virgin Appearing to St Philip Neri’ with oil on canvas sometime in the 18th century. It shows the Virgin Mary and Christ-child floating on a cloud attended by angels, appearing to St Philip Neri. The image participates in the visual culture of the Catholic Church at the time. Tiepolo's painting is a Baroque depiction of a miraculous vision, intended to inspire awe and devotion. The way it portrays the Virgin connects to traditional iconography and the Church’s emphasis on her role as intercessor. This was a time of Counter-Reformation, and images of saints and miracles were actively promoted by the Catholic Church to reinforce faith and assert its authority. What is the public role of art? The historian looks at the function of images in this period, using archival sources, religious texts, and other historical materials to understand the painting within the institutional and social context of the 1700s. The meaning of art depends on these contexts.