Part of the Art on screen series , the latest film TINTORETTO A REBEL IN VENICE celebrates the 500th anniversary of his birth and examines the life and times of one of the great Mannerist painters : Jacopo Robusti, known as TINTORETTO, (1518/9–94) from the early years of his artistic career until his death in 1594 in the city that inspired and challenged him. He took the nickname ‘Tintoretto’, ‘little cloth dyer’, after his father’s trade. David Bowie was a huge fan and described Tintoretto as “a proto Rockstar “ . Jean-Paul Satre called him “the first film director in history” because of his use of light and composition drawing the viewer in and the way he ‘froze the moment’ in his paintings. The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham Carter and also features the film director Peter Greenaway.
There are lots of wonderful shots of Venice today and the film highlights Venice’s vulnerability but sometimes the images are dizzyingly fast .Tintoretto was born , bred and worked in Venice and loved it , rarely leaving the city- he is regarded as one of the true masters of Venice. His work is at times somewhat overwhelming but this is contrasted by other works that are full of delicate, filigree detail.
Much mention is made of the rivalry and relationships between Titian and Tintoretto as well as Veronese in particular. As well we learn that Tintoretto was inspired by Michaelangelo’s works as well as his relationship with the major art patron, Pietro Aretino.
Tintoretto was nicknamed ‘Il Furioso “ at least partly because of the feverish way he painted but also because he could be viewed as a maverick – he was restless, brave , open-minded , had a strong love for freedom, and was at times unstable and elusive .He was an inventor, an anarchist and a revolutionary ahead of his time.
Sometimes because of the fast visible brushstrokes and he painted so fiercely his work was perhaps considered unfinished by the ideals of the day. He was cunning and slippery though , sometimes painting in the style of other great masters such as Veronese (eg his Assumption of the Virgin in the 1550’s for the church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Crociferi ) He was a great businessman and his work reflects his love of Venice.
We visit his studio workshop as well as the National Archives in Venice and there are segments of talks by various conservators , gallery directors etc . We learn about Tintoretto’s technique , how he invented a special coloured mix to prepare the canvas. Various hidden changes in composition etc with the underdrawings have been revealed by the use of X ray and are discussed. Also ,we see how he used tiny wax figures to study and plan the next work.
Many of Tintoretto’s famous works are shown and we learn for example that Tintoretto produced several versions of The Last Supper. Many of the works are photographed in extreme closeup as well as analysed by the experts ( eg Susannah and the Elders , The Miracle of the Slave) and some of the various churches Tintoretto produced works for are visited.
We also learn of the story from 1564 of San Roche in Glory – a ceiling painting of Saint Roch, the protector against plague for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a lay confraternity in Venice. Tintoretto was among the painters invited to enter the competition for designs for the space. The tale is that every artist submitted sketches to the judges except Tintoretto, who peeled back a covering from the ceiling panel to reveal an installed, completed work instead. The members of the confraternity told him he had no right to have it secretly installed but Tintoretto remarked that they were welcome to the painting which was sneaky as they were obliged to accept donations to the scuola. Eventually, it was decided not only to keep the painting, but also to employ Tintoretto to produce several more for the building in exchange for an annuity.
Tintoretto’s last major work was the enormous Paradise , for the main hall of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, one of, if not the biggest canvas paintings in the world – 22m by 7m ( it took 50 pieces of canvas sewn together to fit the space). It is HUGE and swarming with characters – a cast of over 500!
We also learn how Tintoretto was shattered by the death of his daughter (who was also a portrait painter) and how his legacy continued with his son Domenico.
A fascinating , detailed look at the life and times of one of the great Venetian artists .
Running time – just on 90 minutes so with screen ads etc allow 2 hours
http://www.sharmillfilms.com.au/allfilms/2019/1/17/tintoretto-a-rebel-in-venice-27-apr
TINTORETTO A REBEL IN VENICE screens at selected cinemas from 27 April 2019