Who painted the ceiling fresco of the Würzburg Residence?

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo painted the ceiling fresco of the Würzburg Residence.

The enormous fresco covers the vault above the residence’s grand staircase and was created between 1750 and 1753. Tiepolo, a Venetian painter celebrated for luminous, illusionistic frescoes, used the curved ceiling to depict allegories of the four continents: Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. The composition glorified the power and cultural achievements of the prince-bishop of Würzburg.

The staircase itself was designed by Balthasar Neumann, whose daring unsupported vault reaches about 23 metres high. Visitors approaching the upper landing gradually see more of Tiepolo’s sweeping scene, making the architecture and painting work as one theatrical Baroque experience.

A common mix-up is to credit Neumann with the fresco because he designed the staircase. He was the architect; Tiepolo was the principal painter, assisted by members of his workshop, including his son Giovanni Domenico.