Artist: Jacopo Tintoretto (Italian 1518-1594)

Tintoretto, Jacopo Biography

Tintoretto was born Jacopo Robusti. His nickname, which means "little dyer," is an allusion to his father's profession. As a young man he studied briefly with Venetian master Titian, who soon discharged him from his studio. The animosity between the two painters lasted throughout their careers. Unlike Titian, who worked and traveled throughout Italy, Tintoretto lived and worked exclusively in Venice. His output was earmarked for the churches, religious organizations, and rulers of the city, and for the Venetian republic.

Tintoretto's preference for diagonal compositions that plunge or zigzag into deep space, the commanding theatricality of his lighting, and the overall dynamism and expansiveness of his style were emulated by such pioneers of the baroque style as Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens and members of the Italian Carracci family. His effect on Venetian oil painting was still greater, and after his death in 1594, Venetian painting declined precipitously.

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