Venetian Renaissance

Feast of the Gods

Bellini - painted in 1529 Titian possibly painted the landscape. Commissioned by the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este This nearly six-foot canvas was for one of his private rooms in the Palzzo Ducale. The subject matter comes from the ancient poet Ovid's play entitled "Fasti." Bellini's scene depicts a mythological banquet of the gods. Set in an Arcadian landscape, the gods of Olympus take part in a sensual picnic where satyrs and nymphs cater to their every need. Arcadia is the idyllic land of paradise in Ancient Greece. Bellini chose to depict the gods as contemporary Venetian peasants and yet based their form on Greco-Roman figures and poses. The Feast's Arcadian theme of pleasure; song, drink, relaxation, idealism, playfulness, youth and erotic sensuality exemplify the mood frequently conveyed in Venetian art.

Venetians

Culture: secular. independent from the rest of Italy/was not effected by the Sack of Rome. Located on Adriatic sea, they dominated trade on the seas. The Turks challenged them and became the Venetians enemy. The trade with the near east Orient is what inspires their rich, colorful palette. Care-free, indulgent lifestyle. Urban island, floating on a lagoon. They became a target of the Spanish inquisition. Characteristics: Cassone, colorito, diorama, iconography, personification, velatura, non-religous themes. pleasure, mythological, some religious matter, erotic, sensuality, pastural. outdoor landscape scenes, stresses the senses, light, color, warmth People: Giovanni Bellini Giorgione Titian Tintoretto Veronese Palladio

Last Supper

Tintoretto - 1594 Student of Titian Inspired by Titian's use of color & Michelangelo's use of line. He is considered to be a Venetian Mannerist whose work strongly anticipates the Baroque style of the 17th century. His unique style is characterized by powerfully Dramatic compositions of deep spirituality and mysticism. 12-by-18-foot oil on canvas composition was painted for the inside of the grand Venetian church, San Giorgio Maggiore. The dynamic composition features over 30 figures and depicts the Last Supper taking place in a bustling contemporary Venetian tavern complete with barmaids, dogs and even a cat! Tinteretto used dioramas as preparatory studies, to aid with his complex figural arrangements. Tintoretto chose a dark palette punctuated with glowing areas of light. sculptural and heavily contoured figurines. The upper register of the canvas is filled with ghostly outlines of flying figures. The theme and the mood of this image are far different from any Venetian painting that we have seen in this lesson. The dramatic religious scene with its mystical light contrasts greatly with the relaxed mood and warm light of Giorgione or Titian.

Venus of Urbino

Titian - 1538 for the wealthy Duke of Urbino. full of hidden symbols - iconography. In the background, 1) two women are gathering items from two long chests called cassoni. A cassone is a marriage chest where a bride kept her trousseau as she moved into her new home. 2)On the windowsill above the cassoni is a myrtle plant which is an evergreen plant symbolizing marital fidelity. 3) a sleeping dog known for their loyalty are also symbols of fidelity 4) bouquet of flowers held by the nude woman. which can stand for love, lust, reproduction, or female genitalia. 5) Does the scene depict a courtesan (a prostitute) in her bedroom? A beautiful young bride? Or a mythological Venus? Titian's ability with colorito is evident in his use of deep Venetian red. Sfmato is used as well.

Pastoral Symphony

Titian -1508 was the most impressive Venetian painters. He worked with a number of Venetian artists. After Bellini's death in 1516, Titian replaced him as the official painter to the Republic of Venice. Titian also had a long list of prestigious patrons, including the Spanish King Charles V who elevated the artist to noble rank. Titian was an incredible colorist who perfected the oil on canvas mode of painting established by Giorgione. Until this development, many painters were using the oil or tempera on wood technique. Titian's technique involved a very strict process. And this involved an underpainting of reddish brown which he believed would lend warmth to the surface. Then the luminous oil color was laid over that layer. Titian used layer upon layer of thin glazes. These glazes are known as velatura, or what the Italians call a veiling quality, so their layers are veils of color. This helped unify the overall tonal range. The very last step would be flicks of lead white, often smudged with his very own fingertip. And that would create reflective sparkle. Titian also employed a method of composing his compositions from a series of triangles punctuated by diagonals. The triangles would lend stability to the composition while the diagonals would suggest dynamic movement. Titian's oil painting "Pastoral Symphony" of 1508 is one of the most famous works of the Venetian Renaissance Arcadian landscape in which we see two musicians accompanied by two nude female figures. While the men are in contemporary Venetian garb, the women have stepped right out of classical antiquity; they are reminiscent of ancient goddesses of love and nature. The musicians are inspired by the women. warm sfumato haze of afternoon light. The overall mood is at once sensual and sentimental, evoking a feeling of tranquility and longing. What Titian gives the viewer is indeed a mere theme rather than a story.