The Discovery of the True Cross and St. Helena 1745

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted this oil on canvas depicting The Discovery of the True Cross and St. Helena sometime in the 18th century. Tiepolo creates a scene brimming with religious and political meaning. Painted in Italy, the fresco is a product of its time. The painting engages with Counter-Reformation themes in its depiction of a miraculous event from the history of the Church. In the painting, St. Helena, mother of Constantine, identifies the True Cross through its miraculous power to resurrect the dead. We can understand this painting as a Counter-Reformation statement of the Catholic Church’s divine authority and power. But it’s also a statement of worldly power. Look at the opulence of the scene: the richly colored garments, the angelic figures swirling above. The painting is a celebration of faith, but also of the Church’s wealth. Understanding this work requires that we study the conditions under which it was made and the Counter-Reformation debates to which it alludes.