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Giorgione the tempest1/26/2024 ![]() Jan Morris wrote that the picture changed the way she looked at painting. This was Lord Byron's favorite painting because the ambiguity of both its subject matter and symbolism allowed viewers to make up their own tale. Others have proposed a moral allegorical reading, or concluded that Giorgione had no particular subject in mind. According to the Italian scholar Salvatore Settis, the desert city would represent the Paradise, the two characters being Adam and Eve with their son Cain: the lightning, as in ancient Greek and Hebrew times, would represent God who has just ousted them from Eden. To some it represents the flight into Egypt to others, a scene from classical mythology (possibly Paris and Oenone or Iasion and Demeter) or from an ancient Greek pastoral novel. ![]() There is no contemporary textual explanation for The Tempest, and ultimately, no definitive reading or interpretation. ![]() The painting has a 'silent' atmosphere which continues to fascinate modern viewers. The landscape is a not a mere backdrop, but forms a notable contribution to early landscape painting. The colors are subdued and the lighting soft greens and blues dominate. The painting's features seem to anticipate the storm. Storks sometimes represent the love of parents for their children. One may also note the stork on the rooftop on the right. X-rays of the painting have revealed that in the place of the man, Giorgione originally painted another female nude. Art historians have identified the man alternatively as a soldier, a shepherd, a gypsy, or a member of a club of unmarried men. He smiles and glances to the left, but does not appear to be looking at the woman. A man, possibly a soldier, holding a long staff or pike, stands in contrapposto on the left. Her pose is unusual - normally the baby would be held on the mother's lap but in this case the baby is positioned at the side of the mother, so as to expose her pubic area. The woman has been described as a "Gypsy" since at least 1530, and in Italy, the painting is also known as La Zingara e il Soldato ("The Gypsy woman and the soldier"), or as La Zingarella e il Soldato ("The Gypsy girl and the soldier"). On the right a woman sits, suckling a baby. Despite considerable discussion by art historians, the meaning of the scene remains elusive. Originally commissioned by the Venetian noble Gabriele Vendramin, the painting is now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia of Venice, Italy. The Tempest (Italian La Tempesta) is a Renaissance painting by the Italian master Giorgione dated between 15.
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