Madonna of the Goldfinch c. 1767 - 1770

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo made this oil on canvas painting of the Madonna and Child, its date is unknown. This picture is full of both religious and institutional meaning. In the 18th century, Venice was a Catholic state where the church was tightly bound with politics and economics. Artists like Tiepolo relied on powerful institutions like the church for patronage. Here, the Madonna and Child is a popular and conservative image and it shows the cultural values of the time. The Madonna is painted in soft shades, with light falling gently to give a naturalistic yet idealized image. Jesus plays with a Goldfinch. The bird represents the Passion of Christ, because according to legend, the bird acquired its red coloring trying to pluck thorns from Jesus's crown. The art historian attempts to interpret the past by looking at visual and cultural codes, for example by studying religious texts, social histories and economic data. In that way we can analyze the social conditions that shaped artistic production.