The Death of Hyacinthus

There's no doubt that the Baroque era gave us some of the most decadent and breathtaking pieces of art. One of the most prominent Venetian painters, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo was indeed one of those individuals whose art leaves one in awe. Not only in his composition but also in the depth of emotion the pieces seems to portray. 

The Death of Hyacinthus, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo c.1752-3 
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

oil on canvas, approx. 112.9 91.3 in

The Death of Hyacinthus is arguably Tiepolo's most prominent works of art. The piece is more tragical than initial glance would lead us to believe. Commissioned by twenty-eight-year-old Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe, a Prostestant count well known for his disregard of what was expected of him by "decent" society. Tiepolo was asked to paint the piece after the death of Wilhelm's dearest lover, a music conductor. Well versed in ancient mythology and the symbolic meaning of what he was asking Tiepolo to create, one could only imagine the pain Wilhelm must've felt. The painting shows Hyacinthus (lower right), critically wounded as Apollo (above Hyacinthus), the Greek god of light and art stares in anguish at his lover in his lap. The tale of Hyacinthus is sorrowful, a game of quoits (replaced by tennis in Tiepolo's version as Wilhelm admired the sport) between the of two lovers, Apollo and Hyacinthus, turned tragical as the discus Apollo had thrown, rebounds off the ground and hits Hyacinthus on the head, wounding him so, that not even Apollo could heal him. 

a quick overview of the piece by the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

a closer look at the two lovers, a mirror to what Wilhelm must've felt

Considering Wilhelm's motive behind the commission, and Tiepolo's own admiration of Apollo, the resulting piece is heartbreakingly beautiful. Keith Christiansen, discussing Tiepolo's artwork and its theatricality, describes the painting as, "a moving relationship between the two lovers... the painting is a grand statement, both in scale and intention" (Tiepolo, Theather, and... 18). This particular piece of work sticks out because, in the time of Tiepolo and Wilhelm, the society of the time was not kind nor accepting towards any romantic relationships between those of the same gender. In fact, a family friend of Wilhelm once asked, rather cattily, if him if he had, "sa froideur pour les femmes ", lost his coldness toward women.
 

the flower hyacinth has it's root (literally)
in greek mythology 

The condition under which the painting came to be is indeed rather sad but helps consolidate the place of artists in society. Here was Wilhelm, mourning the death of his beloved, and Tiepolo immortalized him,( much in the same way Apollo did of Hyacinthus by creating the flower in his memory), through art. In the days where pictures were only those, painted by artists such as Tiepolo, remembering those, one cared about was not as easy as snapping a picture. Artists were essential in preserving the memories of people such as Wilhelm's lover. 

Research and Virtual Tour

The research I performed was centered around Tiepolo, Wilhelm, and the reason behind the painting. This spectacular piece of work would not have been possible without both of them (and greek mythology of course). I was cruising through the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum's virtual collection and this one caught my eye immediately. Not only was the artwork magnificent, but the story behind it stayed with me. It exemplified the role of artists in one's society. During the 1700s artists were highly valued for their skill and held a prominent position in society. 

The mark of the artists of the period is felt in every painting, architecture, and statue. Much like we hold certain photographs of those we care about near and dear to us, people like Wilhelm held works like The Death of Hyacinthus, near and dear to them because that was their way of commemorating those they had loved. And while commissioning such art was a normal practice during the era, Wilhelm's case stands out as we do not see any LGBT representation that is as present as in The Death of Hyacinthus, they're often subtle and/or hidden and changed by history. The piece was memorable not only for its artistic ingenuity but also for what it represented. 

Works Cited

Christiansen, Keith. “Tiepolo, Theater, and the Notion of Theatricality.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 81, no. 4, 1999, pp. 665–692. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3051339. Accessed 13 Dec. 2020.

 “Hyacinth in Greek Mythology.” Greek Legends and Myths, www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/hyacinth.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2020.

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“History of Art: Baroque and Rococo - Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.” Www.All-Art.org, www.all-art.org/history294-10.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2020.
 

“The Death of Hyacinthus.” Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/tiepolo-giambattista/death-hyacinthus.

‌“Tiepolo Paintings, Bio, Ideas.” The Art Story, www.theartstory.org/artist/tiepolo/#nav. Accessed 13 Dec. 2020.

Tiepolo, Giovanni.

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