Man with a White Beard

Tintoretto prints bring the energy and drama of Renaissance Venice into your home. Jacopo Tintoretto painted so fast and boldly that his contemporaries called him "il Furioso", the Furious, and his muscular figures, daring perspective and flickering light set him apart. This collection gathers art prints of his biblical and mythological scenes, his portraits of Venetian nobles and doges, and his powerful figure studies after Michelangelo.

About Jacopo Tintoretto

Jacopo Robusti was born in Venice in late September or early October 1518. His father was a dyer, a tintore, and so the boy became known as Tintoretto, the "little dyer". According to early biographers, his only formal training was a few days in Titian's studio before Titian dismissed him, and the two remained rivals for life.

Tintoretto taught himself by drawing from casts, live models and even cadavers. He acquired models of Michelangelo's sculptures and drew them from every angle, and over his studio he reportedly placed the motto "Michelangelo's drawing and Titian's color". He worked day and night, winning commissions from churches, confraternities and the state, including the vast cycle of paintings for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

He married Faustina Episcopi, and several of their children became painters, including his son Domenico and his beloved daughter Marietta. He spent his whole life in Venice and died there on 31 May 1594, and was buried beside Marietta in the church of the Madonna dell'Orto.

Style and Subjects

Tintoretto's paintings are full of movement. Muscular figures twist and fly through steeply receding spaces, lit by dramatic flashes of light against deep shadow. His brushwork is quick and bold, and he often set his scenes on a huge scale.

He painted religious subjects for churches and confraternities, mythological scenes for private patrons, grand official pictures for the Doge's Palace, and many portraits of Venetian nobles, procurators and doges. His drawings, especially his studies after Michelangelo's sculptures, are powerful and expressive.

Famous Works

• The Miracle of the Slave (1548), Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice. Saint Mark swoops from the sky to rescue a slave, the painting that made his name.
• Susanna and the Elders (c. 1555), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Susanna bathing in a garden as two elders spy on her.
• Venus and Mars Surprised by Vulcan (c. 1555), Alte Pinakothek, Munich. A comic scene of the lovers caught by Venus's husband.
• Saint George and the Dragon (c. 1555), National Gallery, London. A princess flees as the saint fights the dragon.
• The Last Supper (1592–1594), San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. A dramatic nighttime Last Supper lit by glowing angels.
• The Origin of the Milky Way (c. 1575), National Gallery, London. Milk from Juno's breast spills across the sky.
• Paradise (c. 1588), Doge's Palace, Venice. One of the largest paintings on canvas in the world.

Decorating with Tintoretto Prints

Tintoretto's dramatic religious and mythological scenes are statement pieces for a dining room, living room or stairwell. Their rich reds, golds and deep shadows look magnificent in heavy gilt or dark wood frames.

His portraits of Venetian nobles suit a study or library, and his expressive figure drawings make a striking gallery wall for a studio or hallway.

FAQ

What art movement was Tintoretto part of?

Tintoretto was a painter of the Venetian Renaissance, and his dramatic style is often described as Mannerist.

What is Tintoretto's most famous painting?

The Miracle of the Slave (1548) made his reputation, and his late Last Supper in San Giorgio Maggiore and the huge Paradise in the Doge's Palace are among his best-known works.

Where can I see Tintoretto's original paintings?

Venice holds many of his greatest works, at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the Gallerie dell'Accademia, the Doge's Palace and churches such as San Giorgio Maggiore and the Madonna dell'Orto. Others are in the National Gallery in London, the Louvre and the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

How can you recognize a Tintoretto painting?

Look for muscular, twisting figures, steep perspective, flashes of light against deep shadow and quick, bold brushwork.

Why was he called Tintoretto?

His father was a dyer, tintore in Italian, so he was nicknamed Tintoretto, meaning "little dyer". His real name was Jacopo Robusti.

Related Artists

• Titian — the Venetian master who dismissed him and became his rival
• Michelangelo — whose sculptures he studied and drew obsessively
• Paolo Veronese — fellow great painter of 16th-century Venice
• Domenico Tintoretto — his son and assistant
• Jacopo Bassano — Venetian painter of the same generation