Saint Roch

Saint Roch by Tiepolo, at the Musee de Besancon, presents the plague saint who was among the most frequently invoked protectors against epidemic disease. Roch's cult remained vital in eighteenth-century Italy, where plague outbreaks continued to threaten urban populations. Tiepolo's religious subjects achieve paradoxical airiness — sacred drama rendered in pastel-tinted light that dissolves solid matter into atmosphere. His altarpieces for Venetian, German, and Spanish patrons combine Counter...

The saint displays the traditional plague wound on his thigh while the angel and faithful dog attend him. Tiepolo's palette is luminous and warm, with the saint's pilgrim garb rendered in earth tones that contrast with the celestial brightness of the angel.