Who painted Saint Margaret of Cortona?

Saint Margaret of Cortona was painted by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta in 1737.

Where can I see Saint Margaret of Cortona?

Saint Margaret of Cortona is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Saint Margaret of Cortona?

Saint Margaret of Cortona is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Saint Margaret of Cortona?

Museum-quality prints of Saint Margaret of Cortona are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Saint Margaret of Cortona

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta , 1737

Saint Margaret of Cortona is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. It dates from 1737 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is classified as a religious painting and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.

Saint Margaret of Cortona is executed in oil on canvas, a medium consistent with Piazzetta's mature religious output. The support is a relatively modest canvas measuring 38.7 by 30.8 centimeters, a scale appropriate to a devotional work intended for private contemplation. The handling reflects the painterly, tenebrist approach associated with Piazzetta, with figures modeled through pronounced tonal contrasts and rich, earthy coloration rather than linear precision.

The work is classified as a religious painting and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. No specific condition report or conservation history is documented in the available sources.

History & Provenance

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta's Saint Margaret of Cortona was created in 1737. Its early provenance is undocumented, but by 1968 it had entered the collection of Dr. Rudolf J. Heinemann and his wife Lore Heinemann in New York. After Dr. Heinemann's death in 1975 the painting remained with his widow; following her death in 1996, it passed by bequest to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1997, where it remains in the permanent collection.

The available records do not list a specific accession number or detail any public exhibition history for the work.

Overview

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta's oil on canvas, Saint Margaret of Cortona, dates to 1737. This religious painting exemplifies the Venetian Rococo style of the early to mid-18th century, a period when Piazzetta was a prominent figure. The work depicts the 13th-century Italian saint, known for her penitent life, rendered with a characteristic blend of spiritual intensity and artistic refinement.

Subject & Meaning

The painting centers on Saint Margaret of Cortona, a Franciscan tertiary from the 13th century. She is presented in humble attire, gazing heavenward, embodying her devotion and penitence. This depiction aligns with traditional portrayals of saints, emphasizing spiritual contemplation and inner peace through her simple posture and upward glance, inviting viewers to reflect on her virtuous life.

Context

Active in Venice during the early to mid-18th century, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was a significant painter of the Rococo era. While the period often favored lighthearted themes, Piazzetta frequently applied its decorative and dynamic stylistic trends to religious subjects and genre scenes. Saint Margaret of Cortona demonstrates his ability to infuse spiritual narratives with the prevailing aesthetic sensibilities of his time and region.