The Conversion of Saint Paul, ca. 1545, Jacopo Tintoretto (National Gallery of Art)
An exponent of the Venetian school of painting, Tintoretto was celebrated in his lifetime for his inventive compositions, bold and dramatic lighting, and expressive and audacious brushwork. His energy, and the speed in which he painted his large-scale narratives, earned him the nickname Il Furioso. It was all there on his canvas: Dramatic gestures, bold and often-unusual perspective, and muscular figures told the stories he wanted to share.
Tintoretto spent his life working for all of Venice—its governments, its aristocracy, and its churches—and through them earned acclaim as one of the greatest masters of European painting. A 500th-anniversary exhibition Tintoretto: The Artist of Venice opens in March at the National Gallery of Art, its only American venue. In its honor, Lisa Passaglia Bauman, associate professor in art history at George Mason University, explores the career of Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, the artist who was said to combine “the drawing of Michelangelo with the color of Titian.”
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit
