Tiepolo is rightly famous for his frescos, in particular those in Palazzo Labia, Venice.  For this he collaborated with a specialist in perspective, Colonna, who also designed sets for opera.  Colonna’s perspective framework for Tiepolo’s ceiling frescoes illustrates the 18th-century notion of painting as a staged fiction, intended to involve the viewer on an imaginative level.  This was in line with theatre practice of the day—especially opera.  They blur the line between fantasy & reality, optical illusion & optical reality.

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The celling painting Triumph of Bellerophon over Time (Palazzo Labia, Venice) ascending is a complimentary setting for the famous coronation anthem Zadok the Priest (1727) by Handel