Page 33 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

A POR TR AIT OF THE VENE T O  31

Early Renaissance
Renaissance artists were fascinated by
Classical sculpture and developed new Illusionistic details
techniques of perspective and shading to fool the eye: the real
give their figures a three-dimensional look. moulding copies the
Using egg-based tempera gave crisp lines painted one.
and bold blocks of colour, but with little
tonal gradation. The Bellini St Benedict
family dominated art in carries the
Renaissance Venice, and Benedictine
Giovanni, who studied book of
monastic rule.
anatomy for greater
accuracy in his work,
portrays the feelings of his Musical
subjects through their cherubs
playing at
facial expressions. the feet of
the Virgin
In Bellini’s 1488 Frari are a Bellini
altarpiece, the Madonna trademark;
is flanked by SS Peter, music was
Nicholas, Benedict and a symbol of
Mark (see p106). order and
Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna and Child with Saints harmony.
High Renaissance The Virgin is placed off-centre,
Oil-based paints, developed contrary to a centuries-old rule,
in the late 15th century, but Titian’s theatrical use of light
ensures that she remains the
liberated artists. This focus of attention.
medium enabled them to
create more fluid effects, an St Peter looks down at
advantage Titian exploited Venetian nobleman Jacopo
fully. The increasingly Pesaro, who kneels to give
expressive use of light by thanks to the Virgin.
Titian and contemporaries
resulted in a distinctive
Venetian style, leading to
Tintoretto’s masterly
combination of light and
shade (see p110–11).

Titian began this Madonna
in 1519 for the Pesaro family Members of the Pesaro family,
altar in the great Frari church Titian’s patrons, attend the Virgin;
(see p106), after his Assumption Titian’s Madonna di Ca’ Pesaro Lunardo Pesaro, gazing outwards,
was hung above the high altar. was heir to the family fortune.

1712–93 Francesco Guardi
1600–38 Francesco
1500–71 Paris Bordone
Maffei 1707–88 Francesco Zuccarelli
1708–85 Pietro Longhi
1518–94 Tintoretto
1696–1770 Giambattista Tiepolo
1500 1550 1600 1650 1700
1548–1628 Palma
il Giovane 1675–1758 Rosalba Carriera
1581–1644 1676–1729 Marco Ricci
1528–88 Paolo Veronese Bernardo Strozzi 1697–1768 Canaletto
1517–92 Jacopo Bassano 1727–1804 Giandomenico Tiepolo

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