Power and Glory in Renaissance Art: Titian and Tintoretto

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This three-hour walk will provide a striking examination of Venetian art and its integral role in the public life of Venice. We will come away with an appreciation for the masters of the Venetian Renaissance—Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini—and a greater understanding for how these works were meant to be viewed in context.

Part of the beauty of Venice is its wealth of art still in-situ, and here we will focus on the churches and scuole of the San Polo sestiere. The great scuole of Venice dominated public life, participating in lavish processions to proclaim the glory of the Republic and decorating their meeting halls with works by Venetian masters. The Scuola of San Rocco is no exception, with over 50 canvases painted by the 16th century master Tintoretto. His distinct style, with dramatic radiations of light, will certainly make him stand apart from many other Italian artists. We will spend a significant amount of time examining the art of Tintoretto, both in terms of style and in the

This three-hour walk will provide a striking examination of Venetian art and its integral role in the public life of Venice. We will come away with an appreciation for the masters of the Venetian Renaissance—Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini—and a greater understanding for how these works were meant to be viewed in context.

Part of the beauty of Venice is its wealth of art still in-situ, and here we will focus on the churches and scuole of the San Polo sestiere. The great scuole of Venice dominated public life, participating in lavish processions to proclaim the glory of the Republic and decorating their meeting halls with works by Venetian masters. The Scuola of San Rocco is no exception, with over 50 canvases painted by the 16th century master Tintoretto. His distinct style, with dramatic radiations of light, will certainly make him stand apart from many other Italian artists. We will spend a significant amount of time examining the art of Tintoretto, both in terms of style and in the context of the confraternity.

Not just satisfied to expound the glory of Venice through art, confraternities were also essential in performing charitable works, especially in times of plague. The Scuola of San Giovanni Evangelist, the second oldest confraternity in Venice, provides a nice architectural contrast to that of San Rocco and one can still view a plaque describing the plague of 1348.

Just next door, the Chiesa dei Frari, built by the Franciscans, again reminds us of the importance of artistic commissions in the life of Renaissance Venetians and provides a microcosm of Venetian art and history from the 14th century onwards. The two important altarpieces by Titian, The Assumption of Mary and the Madonna of Ca' Pesaro, contained in this church would be reason enough to explore, and its further works by Bellini and Donatello only add to its value. Here we will be able to compare and contrast the work of Titian to his forefather, Giovanni Bellini, and with his successor, keeping in mind the work of Tintoretto.

While focusing on the specific art viewed, we will also explore themes of social history, such as the role of the scuole in Venetian life, the effects of the plague, and the competition between artists for important commissions.