«The Tempest» — Giorgione
Price: $3,200,000
This small painting is one of Western art’s most enigmatic works. By 1530, Venetian collector Marco Antonio Michiel described it as “a gypsy woman and a soldier in a landscape with a storm.” Its true meaning remains debated—Flight into Egypt? Adam and Eve’s expulsion? Or no known narrative?
Modern X-rays reveal Giorgione first painted a nude woman washing her feet by a stream. He later replaced her with the soldier. Why? Unknown. This change deepens the mystery.
Few of Giorgione’s works survive—he died around age 32 of the plague. Only six paintings are confidently his. Yet “The Tempest” stands out as one of Western art’s first true landscapes. Here, nature and storm aren’t backdrop—they’re the main subjects. A groundbreaking 16th-century innovation.
Art Spectrum
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1September 5, 2026 1.5K 1
