Curatorial Notes
This painting may belong to an extensive series of small scenes illustrating the story of Saint Helen, mother of Constantine, the Roman emperor who made Christianity the official religion of his empire. According to legend, Helen traveled to Jerusalem in search of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, known as the True Cross. Guided to the spot of the crucifixion, she identified the True Cross by testing its power to revive the dead. In this small painting, Tintoretto set down the figures with bold, summarizing strokes that efficiently convey posture and movement.
Artwork Identification
Title Saint Helen Testing the True Cross
Title (PT) Santa Helena Testando a Verdadeira Cruz
Title (ES) Santa Elena probando la verdadera cruz
Artist Tintoretto
Artist Bio Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti; Italian, 1518–1594)
Date c. 1545
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Art Institute of Chicago
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
