The ceiling is decorated with nine paintings, all of them by Giambattista Tiepolo. This was one of his most famous commissions. He worked on the paintings from 1739 to 1744, then all the paintings were installed together. The confraternity was thrilled, and elected him a member for life; as they should have, since he worked for the modest fee of 400 zecchini. Tiepolo, considered one of the best painters of the 18th Century, was also a devout man. That is probably the reason he worked here for such little pay. In 1767, the Venetian government gave the scuola its designation 'scuola grande.' The designation was partly due to the huge numbers of Venetians that had been members, but as much to Tiepolo's fine artwork inside the building.
Giambattista Tiepolo
b. Venice 1696 - d. Madrid 1770
He became the most famous 18th Century painter in Italy. He was a merchant's son. Giambattista's father died during his childhood. He later married the sister of the painters Antonio and Francesco Guardi. He worked as a painter of subjects from Classical antiquity, sometimes as allegories, for the ruling class. He painted ceilings, wall frescoes, and canvases for the likes of Prince Karl Philipp von Greiffenklau of Würzburg and Charles III of Spain. Giambattista Tiepolo also worked for confraternities, churches, and religious orders to paint grand Biblical allegories. His monumental works were painted in a theatrical style in the tradition of the great Veronese. And as with Veronese, his surviving works guaranteed the recognition of Venice in producing some of the greatest painters in the world.
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1) Carmini Scuola Façade [209]
