Finding of the body of St Mark
Jacopo Tintoretto·1562
Historical Context
Tintoretto's Finding of the Body of Saint Mark from 1562-1566, painted for the Scuola Grande di San Marco, depicts the miraculous discovery of the evangelist's relics in Alexandria. The painting is part of a cycle celebrating Venice's most important spiritual treasure and its founding patron. The cavernous Alexandrian space, with Tintoretto's characteristic foreshortening and dramatic light, creates one of the most spatially ambitious compositions in the history of narrative painting.
Technical Analysis
The dramatic perspectival arcade creates extraordinary spatial depth, with the supernatural light from the saint's body illuminating the darkened crypt in a composition of remarkable theatrical power.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the dramatic perspectival arcade — a vast Alexandrian space that creates extraordinary spatial ambition.
- ◆Look at the supernatural light from the saint's body illuminating the darkened crypt in a burst of divine revelation.
- ◆Observe the astonished witnesses who react with varied gestures to the miraculous discovery of the relics.
- ◆Tintoretto's characteristic foreshortening creates spatial drama that pulls the viewer into the cavernous space.
- ◆Find the corpse of Saint Mark himself, recognizable by the divine light emanating from the body.
