\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 This picture was painted by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta around 1735 to a commission from the Elector of Cologne, and intended for the
church of the Teutonic Order in Frankfurt am Main. \par
It depicts the \i Assumption of the Virgin\i0 , in a skillfully handled composition crowded with figures.\par
In the lower part of the painting, gathered around the VirginÆs empty tomb, the Apostl
es are carefully characterized, with varying expressions of curiosity, surprise and wonder on their faces. The group is dominated by the figure in a white tunic with widespread arms. A contrast to this more static group is provided by the adolescent figu
res of the angels, depicted in full flight as they raise the Virgin up to Heaven. The one on the right who is looking toward the observer with a witty smile on his face is evidently derived from the angels frescoed by \b \cf4 \ATXht1202 Correggio\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 in Parma Cathedral. The composition is bathed in the clear light of day, in a manner reminiscent of the paintings of Sebastiano Ricci, used to define the atmospheric luminosity of the sky.
