Flight into Egypt 1750 - 1810

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted "Flight into Egypt" with oil on canvas; traditional materials that were processed and refined by others before reaching the artist’s hands. The translucent quality of oil paint allows for a build-up of layers, creating depth and luminosity; Tiepolo skillfully uses this to produce the ethereal glow surrounding the angels, contrasting with the more earthbound tones of the human figures. The smooth surface belies the labor involved in both preparing the canvas and the pigments, and the many hours of applying thin glazes to achieve the final effect. The making of the artwork would have involved a studio of assistants, each contributing their own skills to the overall production. This system of workshop production mirrors the broader economic structures of 18th-century Venice, a hub of trade and commerce, where even artistic endeavors were shaped by capitalist principles. By considering the labor and materials involved, we gain a deeper appreciation of the artwork, moving beyond conventional notions of artistic genius.