The Trinity with Souls in Purgatory

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Artist: Corrado Giaquinto (Italian, 1703–1766)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 39 x 29 1/8 in. (99.06 x 73.98 cm) (canvas)
Museum: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Rights: Public Domain Mark

Below this resplendent vision of the Trinity—God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (shown as a white dove)—are souls in purgatory represented as anguished, naked figures in partial darkness. The light shining down on some of them, and the Father’s compassionate gesture, portend their eventual redemption. Corrado Giaquinto, a late champion of the Italian Baroque style, made numerous versions of the Trinity, but only this one includes purgatory. He painted it when he was living in Rome. The figure of the dead Christ reflects his careful study of Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of the Pietà (1498–1500) in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Conservation of this picture was made possible by a generous contribution from Paula Vesely through the Art Champions program. This Italian 16th century frame is Gift of the Douglas and Mary Olson Frame Acquisition Fund.

Text: Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), CC BY 4.0.