How does this artwork elucidate its Description and interpretations?
On the right a woman sits, suckling a baby. The woman has been described as a gypsy since at least 1530, and in Italy, the painting is also known as La Zingara e il Soldato ("The Gypsy Woman and the Soldier"), or as La Zingarella e il Soldato ("The Gypsy Girl and the Soldier"). Her pose is unusual – normally the baby would be held on the mother's lap; but in this case the baby is positioned at the side of the mother, so as to expose her pubic area. A man, possibly a soldier, holding a long staff or pike, stands in contrapposto on the left. He smiles and glances to the left but does not appear to be looking at the woman. Art historians have identified the man alternatively as a soldier, a shepherd, a gypsy, or a member of a club of unmarried men. X-rays of the painting have revealed that in the place of the man, Giorgione originally painted another female nude. One may also note the stork on the rooftop on the right. Storks sometimes represent the love of parents for their children.
The painting's features seem to anticipate the storm. The colours are subdued and the lighting soft; greens and blues dominate. The landscape is a not a mere backdrop, but forms a notable contribution to early landscape painting. The painting has a "silent" atmosphere, which continues to fascinate modern viewers.
There is no contemporary textual explanation for The Tempest and, ultimately, no definitive reading or interpretation. To some it represents the flight into Egypt; to others, a scene from classical mythology (possibly Paris and Oenone; or Iasion and Demeter) or from an ancient Greek pastoral novel. According to the Italian scholar Salvatore Settis, the desert city would represent Paradise, the two characters being Adam and Eve with their son Cain, and the lightning, as in ancient Greek and Hebrew times, would represent God, who has just ousted them from Eden. Others have proposed a moral allegorical reading or concluded that Giorgione had no particular subject in mind.In September, 1943, Professor Pasquale Rotondi, Central Inspector for the General Direction of the Arts, put it under his bed to hide it from German troops.
pastoral stork Adam and Eve flight into Egypt Iasion Cain gypsy contrapposto Oenone Italy Italian Stork Demeter landscape painting Paradise Giorgione Paris Salvatore Settis X-ray