St. Mark rescues a Sarracen
Jacopo Tintoretto·1562
Historical Context
This 1562 painting depicts St. Mark rescuing a Saracen, part of a cycle of miracles of Venice's patron saint painted for the Scuola Grande di San Marco. The cycle, which includes the famous Miracle of the Slave, established Tintoretto's reputation as Venice's most dynamic narrative painter. The cycle of Saint Mark miracles at the Scuola Grande di San Marco was one of the most important commissions in sixteenth-century Venice, and Tintoretto's contributions transformed the narrative painting tradition.
Technical Analysis
The marine setting allows Tintoretto to display his skill in painting turbulent water and atmospheric effects. Dramatic foreshortening of the saint's descending figure creates a powerful sense of divine intervention.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the marine setting that gives Tintoretto scope to paint turbulent water and atmospheric maritime effects alongside his usual figural drama.
- ◆Look at the dramatic foreshortening of St. Mark descending from above — the divine intervention expressed through the saint's vertiginous angle.
- ◆Observe the compositional energy of the rescue: saint, sailor, and sea all in motion simultaneously.
- ◆Find the contrast between the supernatural calm of the saint's descent and the turbulent chaos of the waves below.
