Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Hyacinth

1730–35

In this altarpiece, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo conceived the traditional subject of the Virgin and Child with saints as if the two figures have miraculously appeared on an altar. The infant hands a rosary to Saint Dominic, who founded a preaching order closely associated with the rosary's use. The altar cloth shows key events in the lives of Mary and Jesus, which believers would have meditated on while repeating the prayers marked by rosary beads.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696–1770)

Date

1730–35

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

274.3 × 137.2 cm (108 × 54 in.); Framed: 303.6 × 174 × 12.7 cm (119 1/2 × 68 1/2 × 5 in.)

Origin

Italy

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Mr. and Mrs. Martin A. Ryerson Collection