Saint Roch Carried to Heaven by Angels

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows several people in the sky, surrounded by billowing fabric. In the center is a person who appears to be sitting on a cloud-like form. The person is on their back with their legs towards us and their head tilted up. They have short, curly hair and wear a garment of red and green cloth, with their arms raised upward above their head, their hands cupped together in a circular shape. On either side of them, three other people are partially visible, two to the left and one to the right. These people appear to be supporting the cloud and the central person, lifting them upwards. They have large blue and green wings with cloth draped around them, and no distinct facial features. One of the people on the left looks like a child, perhaps a cherub, although their upper body and head are blocked up the wings of the other person. What looks like the back of another person's head is visible in the bottom left. All of the people have pale skin. The background features a blue sky with streaks of cream and pink. The painting is enclosed within an oval shape and bordered in reddish-brown.