Cathy's Art Diary

Comprehensive online lecture from the National Gallery on Tintoretto focusing on the work he did for the scuole of Venice. Sian Walters began by explaining how scuole were confraternities based on a shared nationality, trade or religious devotion. She outlined the work Tintoretto did for various scuole before concentrating on his work at the Scuola San Rocco. She explained how he got the job in a competition but instead of drawing his submission he painted it and had a friend insert it on the ceiling of the main chamber and giving it to the scuola. How could they turn him down. She then took us though some of the images explaining how innovative the iconography and style was. She finished by talking about how the scheme was received and the recent restoration project. I’m going to Venice later this year and can’t wait to see it again.

Short talk at the National Gallery on “The Origin of the Milky Way” by Jacopo Tintoretto in Room 9 given by Leslie Primo. Nice interlude after work looking at this picture and its iconography. Also covered a bit on the life of Tintoretto. I particularly liked the story of how he entered a competition to decorate the ceiling in the Council Chamber in Venice and won it by sneaking in one evening and just putting his entry up in situ then donating it to the council. This picture was painted for the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II and shows the moment where the baby Hercules is placed on the sleeping Juno’s breast to feed and give him immortality. However she wakes and the spilt milk forms the Milky Way. The speaker was excellent and drew quite a crowd by the end of the session and signed off with “That was the High Renaissance and this is Tintoretto. Thank you and goodnight!”