DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68745#0186
TINTORETTO
of Toulouse.1 All these were painted from 1580 to 1590, when
Tintoretto was between sixty and seventy years of age. He
had done so much work that it needed something that touched
him more deeply than these scenes of office to arouse any real
fire, while he was wanting in the feeling for charming decoration
which makes Veronese’s share of the Palace so great a success.
He employed assistants to a greater extent than ever before, and
even experts find it difficult to disentangle the various hands that
have worked here. In ‘ Doge Loredano presented to the Madonna
by Saints,’ Professor Thode sees a picture by Domenico, strongly
influenced by his father, who he admits may have provided
sketches, while Mr. Berenson throws the whole responsibility
upon the older painter, though it is probable that many parts
were relegated to his son. So in the great centre-piece of the
ceiling in the Senate, we cannot believe that the heavy, clumsy
Venice, the lank, long-limbed Apollo and the gods by whom
they are surrounded in the upper portion, were created by
Tintoretto, but the nymphs and tritons, rising from earth, laden
with fruits, or riding the ether on sea-horses, are brimming with
his fiery spirit and joie de vivre. We are not concerned to claim
for him the ceiling in the Hall of the Grand Council, where Doge
da Ponte at the top of a flight of stairs, does homage to Venice
enthroned in heaven. He may indeed have supplied the sketch
for the upper part, but the long lines of the steps on which are
grouped the ambassadors of the friendly cities, are ugly and
awkward, and show no invention. This, however, is the work
of which Ridolfi tells the story of his detractors discussing it,
and deciding that he had painted it mechanically and with little
pains. Whether this was in some sort of official meeting does not
appear, but it would seem probable, as he goes on to say that
three young painters, ardent supporters of Tintoretto (one of
them by name Crivelli), hid themselves under the benches of the
hall in which the assembly took place, and suddenly issuing
forth, became so eloquent in defence of their master, that the
1 This was painted to replace a work by Titian which had perished in the fire. It is
not unlikely that some sketch of Titian's remained which he was requested to reproduce
as far as possible,, and the portrait of the Doge is apparently painted in from one by Titian,
now in the Czernin Gallery.
106
of Toulouse.1 All these were painted from 1580 to 1590, when
Tintoretto was between sixty and seventy years of age. He
had done so much work that it needed something that touched
him more deeply than these scenes of office to arouse any real
fire, while he was wanting in the feeling for charming decoration
which makes Veronese’s share of the Palace so great a success.
He employed assistants to a greater extent than ever before, and
even experts find it difficult to disentangle the various hands that
have worked here. In ‘ Doge Loredano presented to the Madonna
by Saints,’ Professor Thode sees a picture by Domenico, strongly
influenced by his father, who he admits may have provided
sketches, while Mr. Berenson throws the whole responsibility
upon the older painter, though it is probable that many parts
were relegated to his son. So in the great centre-piece of the
ceiling in the Senate, we cannot believe that the heavy, clumsy
Venice, the lank, long-limbed Apollo and the gods by whom
they are surrounded in the upper portion, were created by
Tintoretto, but the nymphs and tritons, rising from earth, laden
with fruits, or riding the ether on sea-horses, are brimming with
his fiery spirit and joie de vivre. We are not concerned to claim
for him the ceiling in the Hall of the Grand Council, where Doge
da Ponte at the top of a flight of stairs, does homage to Venice
enthroned in heaven. He may indeed have supplied the sketch
for the upper part, but the long lines of the steps on which are
grouped the ambassadors of the friendly cities, are ugly and
awkward, and show no invention. This, however, is the work
of which Ridolfi tells the story of his detractors discussing it,
and deciding that he had painted it mechanically and with little
pains. Whether this was in some sort of official meeting does not
appear, but it would seem probable, as he goes on to say that
three young painters, ardent supporters of Tintoretto (one of
them by name Crivelli), hid themselves under the benches of the
hall in which the assembly took place, and suddenly issuing
forth, became so eloquent in defence of their master, that the
1 This was painted to replace a work by Titian which had perished in the fire. It is
not unlikely that some sketch of Titian's remained which he was requested to reproduce
as far as possible,, and the portrait of the Doge is apparently painted in from one by Titian,
now in the Czernin Gallery.
106