“The Virgin Appearing to St Philip Neri,” created by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo between 1739 and 1740, is an exquisite oil painting on canvas. Measuring 360 by 182 centimeters, the artwork is a manifest example of the Rococo art movement and is categorized as a religious painting.
The artwork visually narrates a divine encounter, showing the Virgin Mary appearing to St. Philip Neri. The scene is set within an ethereal, heavenly atmosphere, characteristic of Tiepolo’s masterful use of light and color. The Virgin Mary is gracefully seated on a fluffy cloud, cradling the infant Jesus, and surrounded by cherubic angels. Beneath them, St. Philip Neri is depicted in a moment of ecstatic reverence, his gaze fixed upwards, symbolizing his devout astonishment and spiritual connection with the holy vision. The figures are resplendent in flowing draperies, rendered in the soft, vibrant palette typical of the Rococo style. The architectural backdrop provides depth and a sense of grandeur to the celestial event unfolding within the artwork.
