Skip to Content
Closed today, next open Thursday. Closed today, next open Thursday.

Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1742/45

Artist:

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Italian, 1696–1770

About this artwork

The fourth and final large narrative canvas from Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s decorative suite stresses the moral of the story and takes place as Rinaldo rejoins the crusader army. The boat bringing the knight from Armida’s island has just deposited him on the coast of Palestine. The magician of Ascalon uses Rinaldo’s shield to conjure the heroic deeds of his ancestors, urging him to live up to their legacy. In contrast to earlier canvases in the sequence, the young knight appears focused on his mission. In his choice to return to battle, the figure of Rinaldo would have served as a positive example of civic duty for the family who commissioned these decorations.

Status

On View, Gallery 215

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Giambattista Tiepolo

Title

Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1742–1745

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

182.9 × 188 cm (72 × 74 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of James Deering

Reference Number

1925.702

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/16495/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share