Tintoretto Virtual Museum
By Kallie Polgrean
Biographical Information
- He changed his name to Tintoretto, meaning "little dyer" since his father was a silk dyer.
- Tintoretto was taught by Titian and Michelangelo, notorious for his hot temper and impatience during his studies.
- He had seven children, three of which became painters, and he was known to be a family man, who did not like to stray from Venice, or his work as an artist.
- He painted portraits and figures, mimicking the technique of both of his teachers, particularly Titian. Tintoretto was claimed to have the most aggressive painting techniques in the history of art. He also added a lot of drama to Venetian art. His works like Washing the Feet of the Apostles were painted early on in his career and Last Judgement and Removal of the Body of St. Mark were painted later on in his career, after his art had matured.
- Although he didn't have any consistent patrons, Tintoretto was employed by churches to paint inside their cathedrals, as well as the senate of Venice. He is known for creating the largest painting ever created called Paradise.
Artistic Works
- It can be seen in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice Italy. Due to the obscurity of the painting, it is not known around the world, so it is not likely that it is published in many books.
- In this piece, Tintoretto shows the Christians carrying a body away from the Pagans which were about to burn it. This is showing Christianity in a good light instead of other ideals that became more popular in the Renaissance.
- I find this piece interesting because of the heavy and dark atmosphere that is conveyed by looking at it. Also, the title is intriguing because it is describing the removal of a body. I could practically feel the emotion emanating from this painting when I first saw it, and it inspires many different thoughts when looking at it.
- After reading the description of the piece, classicism is definitely the most closely related to Tintoretto’s painting. I know this because there are two types of religions shows, Christianity and Paganism. The Christians are the center of the painting, leading one to believe that they are the most important. This can be applied to classicism because the painting is taking on the ancient morals and religion of Rome and the Dark Ages in particular.
Works Cited
"Tintoretto." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
"Tintoretto." International Dictionary of Art and Artists. Gale, 1990. Biography in Context. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti). Portrait of a Man, 1540, Oil on Canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti). Removal of the Body of St. Mark, 1562-1566, Tela. Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice Italy.