Back

Death of Saint Joseph

Francesco Zugno

  • Death of Saint Joseph 2
  • Death of Saint Joseph 3
Basic information
ID
Ж-2077
Author
Francesco Zugno
Name
Death of Saint Joseph
Technique
oil painting
Material
canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
41.5 x 22
Additionally
Information about author
Author
Francesco Zugno
Artist's lifetime
1709–1787
Biography
Francesco Zugno (1709–1787) was born and worked in Venice during the Rococo period. He came from an old Venetian family of artists. Little is known about his life. He studied at the Venice Academy of Painting and Sculpture, working and training in the workshop of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, who significantly influenced the artist and his work. Together with his teacher, Zugno worked on the frescoes. Among his most famous works is a series of frescoes, partially genre pieces, near Treviso.
Object description
The Gallery's collection houses works by renowned Venetian artists: "The Death of Saint Joseph" by Francesco Zugno, "The Madonna with Dominican Saints" by Jacopo Marieschi, and "The Vision of St. Helena" by Gaspare Diziani. These works attest to the achievements of Venetian monumental decorative painting. In the "Death of Saint Joseph" sketch, the artist depicted the dramatic scene of the saint's passing. According to the Bible, Saint Joseph is the husband of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. He came from Bethlehem, of the lineage of King David. Most Bible scholars believe that Joseph died before the crucifixion of Jesus, as he was not present under the cross, and in the Gospel of John, the care of the Virgin Mary was entrusted to the disciple John. According to tradition, Joseph died in the presence of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Thus, St. Joseph is universally invoked as the patron of a happy death.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery