Tintoretto
By: Savona Roberts
Biography
Tintoretto was born in 1518 in Venice, Italy. He grew up in Venice and had lived there for all of his life. He was admired Michelangelo and Titan, and was so inspired that his motto was "The drawings of Michelangelo and the color of Titan." Tintoretto was a skilled Italian painter and three of his many pieces were Apollo and Marsyas, Christ Washing the Feet of the Apostles, and Last Supper. His patrons were Michelangelo and Titan, the two people that inspired him. I think that Jacopo Tintoretto is an example of Naturalism. He painted the truth, and real life. His art did not show perfect people, but the Italians thought his artwork was perfect. Tintoretto would also be an example of Classicism because his work had simple meanings, but his actual art was complex and exceptional.
Self Portrait
One piece by Tintoretto was his self portrait. The artwork was done in 1547, and oils were used on a canvas to create the art. The self portrait is significant because in the 1500's, most people were not usually able to create a self portrait of themselves. The concept of paining yourself was hard to understand, and it was uncommon for someone to paint themselves. I enjoyed this artwork because Tintoretto is very serious and he also looks high ranked and powerful. It is a very simple portrait, but it is truly meaningful. I think this piece would fall under the category of secularism, because the painting shows the physical appearance of Tintoretto. The self portrait would also be an example of naturalism, because the painting shows how he really did see himself. Tintoretto painted himself just as he looks. This artwork can be viewed by people today, in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.