Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Hyacinth

The painting Virgin and Child with Saints Dominic and Hyacinth was created by the Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Italian, 1696–1770) between 1730 and 1735. This monumental oil on canvas exemplifies the grand religious commissions characteristic of the Italian 18th century, bridging the dramatic intensity of the late Baroque style with the lighter, more elegant sensibility of the emerging Rococo period.

The composition features the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child aloft on a bank of clouds, bathed in celestial light and upward movement. Below them stand Saint Dominic and Saint Hyacinth, two pivotal figures in the Dominican order, who gaze upward, participating in the divine vision. Saint Dominic is identifiable by his traditional black and white habit, while Saint Hyacinth, often depicted carrying sacred objects, gestures toward the heavenly figures. Tiepolo’s signature mastery of vibrant color, swift brushwork, and luminosity is evident in the fluid rendering of the drapery and the palpable sense of atmospheric perspective. This work beautifully illustrates the artist's ability to integrate weighty spiritual subjects into airy, dynamic compositions, a characteristic highly valued in 18th century devotional painting.

The canvas is a significant representation of Tiepolo’s prolific career during his high maturity, demonstrating why he was considered the greatest decorative painter of his generation. While originally designed for a private or ecclesiastical setting in Italy, the painting now resides in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a masterwork from the 18th century, high-resolution images and prints of this subject are sometimes made available for scholarly research and educational purposes through public domain initiatives facilitated by the museum.