Saint Margaret of Cortona

An Italian Rococo painter, Giovanni Battista Piazetta was born on 1682 in Venice, Italy. He was the most important religious painter in 18th century Venice and highly recognized by his contemporaries as his younger colleague Giambattista Tiepolo. He took an early training in wood craving from his father, Giacommo Piazetta. He started his artistic studies in 1697 under Antonio Molinari. Then he travelled to Bologna where he studied Baroque painting under Guiseppe Maria Crespi. He also studied the works of Carraci who had established an academy in Bologna where students drew from the live model using black chalk with white heightening. In 1710, he returned to Venice where he was recognised as a leading artist. Giovan Battista Albrizzi, a close friend and publisher of Piazetta wrote his biography in which he revealed that a Florentine collector, Niccolo Gabburri was seeking to acquire the drawings of Piezetta. Albrizzi even claimed that Piazetta supported his family by making these drawings on regular basis as a means to earn living. Piazetta created, "Saint Margaret of Cortona" painting in 1737. In this painting, a seated woman is shown with a white head covering and black dress with long sleeves. Her face looks pale and peaceful as her eyes are closed. She is on the left side in the painting while her body is turned on the right with her head facing the viewer. There is also a small white and black color dog at the bottom who looks up with its paws resting on her back. On the right side in the background, there is a cross on which a male figure is hanging. The figure had a white cloth on his waist and a crown of thorns on his head. The sky is blue with grey and white clouds. The artist tells story of transformation through his painting. The woman in the painting is Margaret of Cortona who grew up in poverty, she lived a life full of mistakes before she became deeply religious. The painting shows her in a moment where she is reflecting on her past mistakes and regretting while closing her eyes as she prays near a crucifix. The dog by her side is touching detail as it shows that the main character is not entirely alone even in this moment. The presence of dog in this scene shows a beautiful bond that humans and animals share with each other. The artist not only represented devotion but also presented faith, love and companionship which help people to get through their hard times. The artist used thick and bold brushstrokes in this painting. He used strong contrast between light and dark which made the artwork look more realistic, dramatic and full of emotion.