Saint Helen Testing the True Cross
1545
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
1545
oil
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Saint Helen Testing the True Cross is a 1545 oil by Tintoretto, a mannerism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
This painting shows Saint Helen testing the True Cross. It's a scene from a legend about her search for the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The story goes that she found the cross and tested its power by reviving a dead person, which is what's happening in this scene. The painting is small and the figures are set down quickly. Tintoretto was still a young artist when he made this, and it may be part of a series of scenes about Saint Helen's story. This series might have been meant to tell the whole story of her search for the cross. You can see more of Tintoretto's work and style by looking at the technique of chiaroscuro.
