DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68745#0228
TINTORETTO
long faces and dull lifelessness of Domenico’s work. Another
delightful picture of an old man is ‘ Vincenzo Zeno,’ in the Pitti, a
patron of Titian, painted at the age of seventy-four, a thoughtful
ruminating face, with a beard of Tintoretto’s floss-like texture.
Outside is a charming landscape of declining day. Yet another
portrait of old age is the well-known ‘ Old Man and Boy ’ at
Vienna. All the thought that appears on the wise old face is
drawn from within, while we can see that the boy imbibes all his
thought from without. ‘ Luigi Cornaro ’ (Pitti) has a sad, intel-
lectual face, with bright, birdlike eyes. This face is so sensitive
that one does not wonder it has often been ascribed to Titian.
Contrary to Tintoretto’s practice, it has been painted against a
dark background with no outlet. The darkness of the robe is
only broken by the hands and by a gilded buckle at the waist.
The ‘ Procurator of St. Mark ’ (Vienna) has cold, watchful eyes
under deep brows, a pinched mouth, refined, characteristic hands
and imperious carriage of head, all through which is felt the bony
structure. ‘Jacopo Soranzo’ is one of his most distinguished figures;
an old man, full of pride of race, pride of place, high-minded,
attractive. Though it is still given to Titian in the catalogue, we
have only to compare it with the portrait of ‘ Vincenzo Zeno ’ to
recognize the same touch in the treatment of the hands, of the
eye-sockets and white flossy beard. ‘ Sansovino ’ at eighty-four
(Uffizi) is an ugly, uncompromising conception of the old architect,
but wonderfully living and ‘ modern ’ in expression. Tintoretto
gives us the man; gets hold of his sorrows and his disappointments.
A strong man is his ‘Admiral Sebastian Venier,’ the grey
victor of the sea-fight of Lepanto, the idol of the triumphant
people, and notably, no doubt, of Tintoretto, who had evinced
such gratified patriotism at the time of the event. Venier was
Procurator of St. Mark from 1570, and in 1577 was elected Doge.
The Pope sent him the Golden Rose. He died in 1578. He
stands before us in full armour, with his baton in the right hand ;
a warrior and leader of men, shrewd and indomitable. His hair and
beard, his strong, coarse nose and ears are forcibly painted, and the
lights on his armour and on the velvet mantle are treated with a
boldness which must have appealed to Velazquez. In the distance
behind him the great sea-fight of 1571 is proceeding.
132
long faces and dull lifelessness of Domenico’s work. Another
delightful picture of an old man is ‘ Vincenzo Zeno,’ in the Pitti, a
patron of Titian, painted at the age of seventy-four, a thoughtful
ruminating face, with a beard of Tintoretto’s floss-like texture.
Outside is a charming landscape of declining day. Yet another
portrait of old age is the well-known ‘ Old Man and Boy ’ at
Vienna. All the thought that appears on the wise old face is
drawn from within, while we can see that the boy imbibes all his
thought from without. ‘ Luigi Cornaro ’ (Pitti) has a sad, intel-
lectual face, with bright, birdlike eyes. This face is so sensitive
that one does not wonder it has often been ascribed to Titian.
Contrary to Tintoretto’s practice, it has been painted against a
dark background with no outlet. The darkness of the robe is
only broken by the hands and by a gilded buckle at the waist.
The ‘ Procurator of St. Mark ’ (Vienna) has cold, watchful eyes
under deep brows, a pinched mouth, refined, characteristic hands
and imperious carriage of head, all through which is felt the bony
structure. ‘Jacopo Soranzo’ is one of his most distinguished figures;
an old man, full of pride of race, pride of place, high-minded,
attractive. Though it is still given to Titian in the catalogue, we
have only to compare it with the portrait of ‘ Vincenzo Zeno ’ to
recognize the same touch in the treatment of the hands, of the
eye-sockets and white flossy beard. ‘ Sansovino ’ at eighty-four
(Uffizi) is an ugly, uncompromising conception of the old architect,
but wonderfully living and ‘ modern ’ in expression. Tintoretto
gives us the man; gets hold of his sorrows and his disappointments.
A strong man is his ‘Admiral Sebastian Venier,’ the grey
victor of the sea-fight of Lepanto, the idol of the triumphant
people, and notably, no doubt, of Tintoretto, who had evinced
such gratified patriotism at the time of the event. Venier was
Procurator of St. Mark from 1570, and in 1577 was elected Doge.
The Pope sent him the Golden Rose. He died in 1578. He
stands before us in full armour, with his baton in the right hand ;
a warrior and leader of men, shrewd and indomitable. His hair and
beard, his strong, coarse nose and ears are forcibly painted, and the
lights on his armour and on the velvet mantle are treated with a
boldness which must have appealed to Velazquez. In the distance
behind him the great sea-fight of 1571 is proceeding.
132