In this towering allegorical painting, Tintoretto depicts Christ rising from the grave, triumphant over death and illuminated by a rising sun. The staff in Christ’s left hand holds up a banner celebrating the resurrection, while his right hand delivers a gesture of blessing or benediction to the awakening soldier.

In its original church setting — likely as an altarpiece placed high above the faithful — the foreshortened figure of Christ would have delivered an even more dramatic sense of the miracle of life defeating death.

Tintoretto is one of the masters of the Venetian Renaissance, along with Titian and Veronese. His rapidly executed canvases (for which he earned the nickname ‘il Furioso’) display a powerful, even theatrical vitality. Although Tintoretto painted portraits of eminent Venetians, he was best known for his religious works, many of which were commissioned by churches.