TINTORETTO
(b. 1518, Venezia, d. 1594, Venezia)

The Sala dell'Albergo

1564-67
Oil on canvas
Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice

The Sala dell'Albergo was the first room of the Scuola decorated by Tintoretto. The decoration contains scenes of Christ's Passion.The paintings are memorable for their stringent compositional vigour and intense pathos.

On the end wall is an immense Crucifixion, which is one of the painter's most remarkable achievements. The painting focuses on the dramatic moment when the Cross is being raised upright. The scenes of the Christ before Pilate, Ecce Homo, and Christ Carrying the Cross form a dramatic trio on the wall facing the Crucifixion. Tintoretto varied the compositions and proportions of the paintings, yet managed to keep the narrative coherent.