# Polyptych of the Resurrection [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [TIZIANO Vecellio]() - Date: 1501-1550 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 278 x 122 cm ## Commentary The Polyptych of Resurrection in SS Nazzaro e Celso in Brescia was commissioned by Altobello Averoldi, papal legate to Venice, in 1518/19. The format of five panels is old-fashioned, but the dynamic relation between Christ and St Sebastian, predicting the triumph of both, anticipates the Baroque. Titian openly vies with sculpture in the two main figures, taking inspiration from the recently discovered Hellenistic statue of <A onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/b/bandinel/1/laocoon.html'\)" href="/html/b/bandinel/1/laocoon.html">Laocoon</A> and - in the case of Sebastian - <A onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/m/michelan/1sculptu/giulio\_2/slave6.html'\)" href="/html/m/michelan/1sculptu/giulio\_2/slave6.html">one of the slaves</A> from Michelangelo's tomb for Julius II. Titian's impulse to capture bold bodily movements is not easily accommodated within the traditional structure of a polyptych, which necessitated depicting different pictorial elements on a number of panels. It is certain that this antiquated form was used the request of the client, the papal legate Altobello Averoldi. He is depicted \(bottom left panel\) with the patron saints of the church, St Nazaro and St Celso, to whom he donated the altar. New Mannerist tendencies are also apparent here, possibly transmitted to Titian through the work of Pordenone, and these elements subtly contribute to the dramatic intensity of the work. The landscape background is of the very highest quality, with recognizable view of Brescia. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 22 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/16\_cent/palestrina\_missa\_brevis.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa brevis</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [A Knight of Malta]() - [Adam and Eve]() - [Allegory of Time Governed by Prudence]() - [Angel of the Annunciation]() - [Annunciation]() - [Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle \(detail\)]() - [Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle]() - [Assumption of the Virgin \(detail\)]() - [Assumption of the Virgin \(detail\)]() - [Assumption of the Virgin \(detail\)]() - [Assumption of the Virgin \(detail\)]() - [Assumption of the Virgin]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()