Sketch for "The Assumption of the Virgin" (for St. James, Zbraslav, near Prague)?
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta·c. 1744
Historical Context
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was a leading Venetian painter of the early 18th century, known for his dramatic chiaroscuro and emotionally intense religious compositions. This oil sketch relates to his Assumption of the Virgin painted for the church of St. James in Zbraslav near Prague, demonstrating the international reach of Venetian painters in Central European commissions. The dynamic, spiraling composition reflects the influence of Baroque ceiling painting traditions.
Technical Analysis
This bozzetto displays Piazzetta's characteristically bold, loose brushwork and strong tonal contrasts, serving as a preparatory study that captures the essential compositional movement before execution of the final altarpiece.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio; Dr. and Mrs. N. Lester Farnacy, by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art; (Alessandro Morandotti [1909-1979] Rome); Hans Dietrich Gronau [1904-1951] or Carmen Groneau [1910-1999], London1; (Mrs. Tancred Borenius sale, Sotheby’s, London, June 7, 1950, lot 126, sold to Gronau); Anne-Marie Rüneberg Borenius, Coombe Bissett, Wiltshire, consigned to Sotheby’s; Tancred Borenius [1885-1948], London, by descent to his wife, Anne-Marie Rüneberg1
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