Saint Charles Borromeo Meditating on the Crucifix
- Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
- Date: 1767
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Saint Charles Borromeo Meditating on the Crucifix" by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The artist was an Italian master of the 18th century, and this work dates from 1767. It’s an oil on canvas sketch that he used as a preparatory study for one of seven altarpieces he painted for the Church of San Pascual in Aranjuez, Spain. The church itself was the first big project under King Charles III, who reigned from 1759 to 1788. It was built for the barefoot Franciscans, a group that prized austerity in their devotion. So most of Tiepolo’s altarpieces echo that stripped‑down spirit. The curious thing about this sketch is that it shows Charles Borromeo, the king’s namesake and the friars’ patron saint, in rich, sumptuous robes. It’s a stark contrast to the otherwise plain subjects. This piece was part of Tiepolo’s last major commission, and the altarpieces only stayed in the church for a few years before the king deemed them too old‑fashioned and had them removed. Even though it was a study, you can see the masterful use of light and composition that would come to define the finished works.
See it in person
Saint Charles Borromeo Meditating on the Crucifix hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
