The Immaculate Conception 1768

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created this imposing oil painting, The Immaculate Conception, likely sometime in the mid-18th century. Tiepolo here employs traditional materials of canvas, oil, and pigment in a traditional genre, religious painting. Yet, the finished painting represents a break with tradition. Look closely and you will notice Tiepolo's energetic brushwork and the work's intense dynamism. The artist’s technique enlivens the subject matter with dynamism that enlivens the pictorial field, and the subject itself. His process is not unlike fresco-making, where paint is applied quickly and gesturally, to capture an ephemeral moment. The swirling clouds, the fluttering drapery, and the upturned gazes of the angels all contribute to the work's ethereal quality. Tiepolo was a master of color, using it to create drama and draw the viewer's eye. The vibrant blues and reds in Mary's robes contrast with the soft pastels of the clouds, creating a sense of depth and movement. This painting exemplifies the artist's virtuosity in capturing the miraculous and the ethereal. It pushes the boundaries of the possible, as it captures the sublime.