Madonna of Carmelo and the Souls of Purgatory

fresco by Tiepolo

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July 17, 2026

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The "Madonna of Carmelo and the Souls of Purgatory" is a circa 1720 painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, a prominent 18th-century Italian painter known for his luminous frescoes that blended Baroque tradition with Rococo elegance. This particular work, created during Tiepolo's early period, shows the influence of his contemporary Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, characterized by strong contrasts of light and shade (chiaroscuro). The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with souls in Purgatory, a theme common in religious art, showcasing Tiepolo's developing dramatic feeling and mastery of form.1

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Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Early life
…such works as the monumental Madonna of Carmelo and the Souls of Purgatory (c. 1720). His artistic education, however, was complex and varied: he examined the works of both Venetian and foreign contemporaries and studied older painters as well, as demonstrated by his large production of etchings after 16th-century subjects.…
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…such works as the monumental Madonna of Carmelo and the Souls of Purgatory (c. 1720). His artistic education, however, was complex and varied: he examined the works of both Venetian and foreign contemporaries and studied older painters as well, as demonstrated by his large production of etchings after 16th-century subjects.…
Read More