Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 16 works by Agostino Tassi in our catalogue
In short
Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft (1632) is the Agostino Tassi painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. After it, the eye goes to View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome (1625) and The Coral Fishers (1622). Among the 16 works of Agostino Tassi in our catalog, these 16 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
The canvas titled Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft presents a quiet tension held within its frame. This work is the creation of Agostino Tassi, an Italian painter who lived from 1580 to 1644. The image captures a specific moment in the artist's life, dating to about 1632. It exists as a window into the atmospheric traditions of the seventeenth century.
The scene unfolds in a monochromatic pencil drawing titled View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome. Agostino Tassi captures a quiet moment within this landscape, where the stillness of the Roman countryside meets the subtle movement of water. The work emerges from about 1625, a time when the artist's hand moves with a sense of immediate observation. Every line seems to breathe with the life of the terrain it seeks to…
In this oil on canvas, titled The Coral Fishers, Agostino Tassi presents a detailed scene of maritime labor. Created in 1622, the work captures a specific moment of activity involving figures engaged in the collection of coral. The scale of the piece, measuring 94 x 131 cm, allows for a close observation of the figures positioned within the composition.
The air in the room feels heavy with the weight of distant lands. Within the Salone dei Corazzieri in Rome, a fresco captures a moment of quiet assembly. Figures are gathered in a space that feels both public and intimate, their bodies oriented toward one another in a silent exchange of presence. A man sits upon a bench, his posture settled, while others stand or lean nearby. A child is…
In this 1615 oil on canvas, we find ourselves at the edge of a grand architectural structure, perhaps a palace, where the heavy presence of columns and arches frames a scene of transition. The composition is anchored by the movement of figures gathered near the water's edge, their forms engaged in the quiet, organized labor of an embarkation. Small, simple boats wait at the shoreline, ready to ferry travelers across…
A tranquil river scene unfolds through meticulous pen work, capturing a moment of stillness in 1625. In the foreground, two figures occupy the left bank; one sits while the other stands, both oriented toward the flowing water. Their presence suggests a quiet communion with the landscape. A rocky outcrop, textured with vegetation emerging from crevices, anchors the middle ground. Upon this formation, a third figure stands, gazing toward the river.…
The ceiling unfolds as a complex arrangement of stucco and fresco, designed to dissolve the physical boundaries of the room. Ornate decorations, including intricate scrollwork and floral motifs, divide the space into distinct sections. These elements possess a three-dimensional quality, projecting from the surface to create a sense of structural depth. The frescoes within these compartments depict classical architecture and sprawling landscapes, featuring columns and buildings that integrate seamlessly with…
The composition centers on a grand, white stone staircase that ascends toward a large building characterized by prominent columns and statues. This structure, situated on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy, dominates the vertical axis of the scene. Figures in historical garments, consistent with 17th-century attire, occupy the foreground and the middle ground. Some individuals move along the steps, while others remain stationary, observing the surroundings. The architecture is rendered…
The painting depicts a large ship navigating through a turbulent ocean. This central vessel, resembling a pirate ship, features a prominent white sail that catches the light against the darker tones of the water. Several smaller boats surround the primary ship, creating a sense of scale and movement within the maritime scene. At least twelve figures are visible on the deck of the large ship, with some positioned near the…
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Agostino Tassi | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Walters Art Museum |
Baltimore | 1 | Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft |
 Quirinal Palace |
Rome | 1 | Hasekura Diplomatic Mission |
 Palazzo Lancelotti |
Rome | 1 | Imaginary Landscape with Temple of Sibyl at Tivoli |
 Pinacoteca Capitolina |
Rome | 1 | Competition on the Capitoline Hill |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 1 | Landscape with Erminia |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The air in the room feels heavy with the weight of distant lands. Within the Salone dei Corazzieri in Rome, a fresco captures a moment of quiet assembly. Figures are gathered in a space that feels both public and intimate, their bodies oriented toward one another in a silent exchange of presence. A man sits upon a bench, his posture settled, while others stand or lean nearby. A child is…
The scene unfolds in a monochromatic pencil drawing titled View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome. Agostino Tassi captures a quiet moment within this landscape, where the stillness of the Roman countryside meets the subtle movement of water. The work emerges from about 1625, a time when the artist's hand moves with a sense of immediate observation. Every line seems to breathe with the life of the terrain it seeks to…
The canvas titled Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft presents a quiet tension held within its frame. This work is the creation of Agostino Tassi, an Italian painter who lived from 1580 to 1644. The image captures a specific moment in the artist's life, dating to about 1632. It exists as a window into the atmospheric traditions of the seventeenth century.
Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft (1632), Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome (1625) and The Coral Fishers (1622) come next.
52 years old: Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft dates from 1632, and Agostino Tassi was born in 1580.
Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft, View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome, The Coral Fishers, Hasekura Diplomatic Mission, The Embarkation of a Queen, River Landscape, Imaginary Landscape with Temple of Sibyl at Tivoli, Competition on the Capitoline Hill, Seascape and Capriccio with the Palazzo dei Conservatori. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 16 works by Agostino Tassi, dated from 1615 to 1632.
Mostly in Walters Art Museum (Baltimore), Quirinal Palace (Rome) and Palazzo Lancelotti (Rome). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1620s: 4 of the 16 works on this page were made then, View of the Acqua Acetosa, Rome among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Embarkation of a Queen (1615) and the latest Landscape with a Scene of Witchcraft (1632).
People (5), Figures (5) and Landscape (4), across the 16 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 4 of the 16 works on this page.
Agostino Tassi remains one of the most complex and enigmatic figures of the Italian Baroque era, a painter whose brush captured the serene majesty of the Mediterranean while his personal life was mired in the shadows of scandal. Born in Perugia around 1578, though he famously claimed Roman origins to bolster his social prestige, Tassi’s artistic identity was forged through a profound connection to the sea and the atmospheric light of the Italian coast. His early training, likely influenced by the works of Paolo Brill, instilled in him a mastery of disegno—the fundamental Italian principle of structured drawing—which he later infused with a breathtaking sense of movement and maritime atmosphere. As a painter, Tassi possessed a rare ability to translate the rhythmic pulse of the ocean onto canvas, creating scenes that felt both monumental and intimately connected to the natural world.
The trajectory of Tassi’s career was marked by an unusual and transformative period spent aboard the convict galleys of Grand Duke Ferdinando II in Florence. This experience, far from being a mere hardship, served as a vital crucible for his creative development. Living amidst the salt spray and the constant motion of the sea, Tassi found an unparalleled source of inspiration that few of his land-bound contemporaries could claim. This immersion in the maritime environment allowed him to observe the intricate interplay of light on water and the structural grandeur of sailing vessels with a precision that would define his signature style. His works from this period reflect a deep understanding of the Dutch Golden Age influences that were beginning to permeate European art, blending Italian compositional strength with a burgeoning interest in atmospheric realism.
Tassi’s artistic legacy is most vibrantly preserved in his depictions of coastal landscapes and shipping scenes, where he demonstrated an extraordinary command over light and texture. His paintings, such as the evocative Mediterranean Coast with Shipping, serve as windows into a bygone era of maritime commerce and naval splendor. In these works, the viewer is invited to witness the serene beauty of the Mediterranean, characterized by:
Beyond the mere documentation of ships, Tassi’s work embodies the Baroque fascination with drama and the sublime. He utilized chiaroscuro techniques to imbue his seascapes with a sense of weight and importance, making the sea appear not just as a setting, but as a living, breathing protagonist in his compositions. This mastery of light allowed him to bridge the gap between the structured traditions of Roman painting and the more naturalistic, observational styles emerging from Northern Europe.
It is impossible to discuss Agostino Tassi without acknowledging the profound historical shadow cast by his personal transgressions. His name is inextricably linked to the infamous trial involving Artemisia Gentileschi, a moment in art history that serves as a stark contrast to the tranquil beauty of his maritime canvases. This duality—the creator of serene, majestic landscapes and the participant in a period of intense social and legal drama—adds a layer of tragic complexity to his biography. Yet, despite the turbulence of his personal life, Tassi’s contribution to the evolution of the landscape genre remains significant.
His influence can be traced through the development of maritime painting in the 17th century, providing a vital link between the classical Italian tradition and the burgeoning interest in seascape realism. By elevating the status of the maritime scene from mere background element to a subject of profound artistic merit, Tassi helped pave the way for future generations of landscape artists. His work stands as a testament to the power of observation and the ability of an artist to find sublime beauty even within the most constrained and challenging circumstances.
