Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice houses the most ambitious decorative cycle by Tintoretto, who worked on it from 1564 to 1587. He won the commission through a famous gambit: while other artists submitted sketches, Tintoretto installed a finished painting on the ceiling, outmaneuvering his competitors.

Over 23 years, he filled the Sala dell'Albergo, the upper hall, and the ground floor with more than 60 canvases depicting Old and New Testament scenes. The confraternity building itself, completed in 1560, was dedicated to Saint Roch, patron saint of plague victims. Tintoretto's son Domenico assisted with the later works. The paintings remain in their original positions, making this one of the few places where a major Renaissance decorative program can be seen exactly as intended.