between 1565 and 1567 Tintoretto painted on the walls an iconographic cycle dedicated to the Passion of Christ in the background unfolds more than twelve meters long an immense Crucifixion and the Ascent to Calvary, the Ecce homo and Christ before Pilate on the entrance wall …

2. between 1565 and 1567 painted on the walls an iconographic cycle dedicated to the Passion of Christ,
whose particularity is that it is presented in reverse …
in the background unfolds more than twelve meters long an immense Crucifixion
and the Ascent to Calvary, the Ecce homo and Christ before Pilate on the entrance wall …

3. Tintoretto
Passion of Christ
Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice

6. In 1565 Tintoretto painted one of the major religious works of the century, his vast Crucifixion …

7. Tintoretto, Le Tintoret, Jacopo Robusti
Crucifixion
1565
Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
Golgotha populated by a crowd of soldiers, executioners, horsemen, and apostles ...
at the left the cross of the penitent thief is being partly lifted, partly tugged into place by ropes;
at the right the impenitent thief is about to be tied to his cross;
a soldier on a ladder behind Christ reaches down to take the reed with the sponge soaked in vinegar from another;
at the foot of Christ’s cross a little group, including the Marys, huddled as if for protection against the hostile crowds

9. … naturally, the painting centres on Christ crucified, but the two thieves executed beside him are not
shown, as would be traditional, already hanging from their crosses

15. each of the crosses has attendant workers, busy with the task of conducting the crucifixion, climbing
ladders, hauling on lines, and fastening each victim to his cross
this mechanical and human detail brings the scene to life and adds to its credibility, and grim process

18. the crowd on the left is more spread
in the distance is a flag bearing the letters SPQR representing the Roman Empire, and its link through Pilate
most faces are turned towards Christ, with their eyes wide in awe

25. on the right, in a small rock shelter suggestive of a tomb, two men are gambling with dice
to the right of them, a gravedigger has just started his work with a spade
the ruling class, perhaps Herod himself, have turned up on horseback, and they too stare wide-eyed at Christ

28. between 1566 and the first months of 1567 Tintoretto completed the cycle of Christ's Passion …

29. Tintoretto, Le Tintoret, Jacopo Robusti
Christ before Pilate
Le Christ devant Pilate
1566-1567
Sala dell'Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
The dramatic staging of the scene is completely original.
The figure of Christ, wrapped in a white mantle, stands out like a shining blade against the crowd and the architectural scenery.
He is centered by a bright ray of light and stands tall in front of the hypocritically bureaucratic judge that is Pilate who is
portrayed in red robes and as if sunk in shadows.

32. … the old secretary at the foot of Pilate's throne he leans against a stool covered with dark green cloth
and with great diligent enthusiasm notes down every moment, every word spoken by the judge amid
the murmurings of the pitiless crowd which obstinately clamours for the death of Christ

34. Tintoretto, Le Tintoret, Jacopo Robusti
Ecce Homo
1566-1567
Sala dell'Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
In the center of the composition Christ is seated regally on the steps against the shroud.
The prominent figures of Pilate and the soldier act as human wings on the left and right.

37. in the strong stream of light that comes from the left, the shades of colour brighten up and vary
extraordinarily:
the red of Pilate's robes and of the soldier's and of Christ's mantle;
the steel grey streaked with luminous reflections of the armour;
the dull white spotted with blood of the shroud;
the pinky yellow of the flesh of Christ with his pathetically sad face ...

40. Tintoretto, Le Tintoret, Jacopo Robusti
The Ascent to Calvary
La Montée au Calvaire
1566-1567
Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice
a pronounced play of light and darkness distinguishes the two sections of the composition, becoming a dramatically
expressive element ...

43. the deep shadow of the lower half, where the two thieves advance with difficulty, bent under the weight
of their crosses
contrasts with …

46. the bright tonalities of the upper zone in which Christ walks towards the top of Golgotha immersed
in a full light that already seems to foretell his triumph over death ...

48. olga_oes
Tintoretto, Passion of Christ, Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco,
Venice
Tintoretto, Passion du Christ, Sala dell’Albergo, Scuola Grande di San Rocco,
Venice
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