The Tempest is an oil painting on canvas by the Italian painter Giorgione, dated between 1506 and 1508. It depicts a mysterious scene where a woman breastfeeding a child and a man holding a stick face each other in a stormy landscape. It measures 82 x 73 cm and is housed in the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, Italy. It belongs to the Venetian Renaissance movement, characterized by mastery of color and light.
Historical context of the work
The Tempest is one of the few works attributed to Giorgione, a painter whose life and work are shrouded in mystery. He was born around 1478 in Castelfranco Veneto and died in 1510 in Venice. He was a pupil of Giovanni Bellini and master of Titian. He was influenced by Flemish art and ancient art. He was an innovative and original painter who created genre of poetic landscape.
The Tempest was first mentioned in 1530 by Marcantonio Michiel, a Venetian art lover who described it as “the landscape with storm, gypsy and soldier (…) by hand of Zorzi from Castelfranco”. He saw it in house of Gabriele Vendramin, a wealthy collector who owned several paintings by Giorgione. We do not know who original patron of painting was or what its meaning was.
The Tempest was then passed on to several owners before being acquired by Gallerie dell’Accademia in 1812. It has been restored several times and has undergone changes over time. It has been subject to many interpretations and controversies among art historians.
Analysis of painting
The painting depicts an enigmatic scene where two human characters face each other in landscape agitated by storm. The composition is organized along descending diagonal that goes from upper left corner to lower right corner.
In foreground, we see woman sitting on ground breastfeeding child. She is dressed in white dress that reveals her breast and shoulder. She wears jewelry on her ears, neck and arms. She stares fixedly at viewer with indefinable expression.
In middle ground, we see man standing on bank holding stick in his right hand. He is dressed in red tunic. He looks to left with questioning attitude.
In third plan, we see landscape that occupies most of painting. We distinguish fortified city on opposite bank where towers and steeples rise. We also see bridge spanning watercourse. We also notice trees stripped by wind and ancient ruins evoking fragility civilization.
In last plan, we see dark sky contrasting with golden light illuminating scene. We observe threatening clouds announcing storm. We also see lightning streaking horizon.The palette of painting is rich and contrasted: it mixes warm tones (red, orange, yellow) and cool tones (blue, green). Giorgione uses oil on canvas technique to create transparency and luminosity effects that enhance realism and poetry of landscape. He also takes care with details such as characters, animals and plants that demonstrate his attentive observation and creative imagination.
Interpretation
The Tempest is typical work in Venetian style characterized by sensual and refined beauty of form. Giorgione expresses his personal vision landscape by staging mysterious suggestive scene.
Giorgione does not seek to faithfully illustrate narrative or convey precise message. Rather he freely draws inspiration from various sources to create original ambiguous work. He thus highlights contrast between wild nature human culture; between apparent calm latent tumult; between profane sacred.
Giorgione also addresses his patron cultured public who appreciate learned references symbolic allusions. He thus evokes his knowledge ancient art contemporary art; his admiration for Italian Flemish masters; his taste for mythological philosophical themes.
The Tempest is therefore remarkable work for its technique expressiveness. It is also enigmatic work that defies any definitive interpretation stimulates viewer’s imagination.
