Venice became a prosperous trading center in the 16th century, developing a distinctive style of oil painting characterized by vibrant color and loose brushwork. Artists like Giovanni Bellini, Giorgione, and Titian perfected new techniques like oil painting on canvas and created beautifully realistic works that captured the light and atmosphere of Venice. These masters established Venice as a major center of Renaissance art alongside Florence and Rome.

1. The Renaissance in Venice
1470 - 1570

2. The Queen of the Adriatic
 Venice was in many ways quite different to
Rome and Florence
 At the crossroads of commercial trade
between east and west it became a very
prosperous and splendid city in the 16th
century
 This also meant it had an exciting mix of
exotic cultures

3. Painting in Venice
Characteristics
 Colour and light characterise Venetian painting
 It is known for a very distinctive style of loose
brushwork and a smooth, velvety texture
 Blurry edges and soft light is found particularly
in landscape landscape painting and this tends
to create a gentle slightly mysterious
atmosphere

4. Techniques
 The damp atmosphere in Venice made
fresco painting on plastered walls impossible
 Artists developed the technique of oil
painting on canvas.
 Canvas was stretched over large wooden
frames to hang on walls
 Primed with white gesso the light glowed
through layers of oily paint and glazes.

5. Artists of Venice
•Giovanni Bellini 1430 – 1516
•Giorgione 1477- 1510
•Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) 1485-1576

6. Giovanni Bellini
 Bellini was from a family of painters
 They are thought to have brought Renaissance
"style" to Venetian painting in the mid to late
15th century
 Bellini perfected the new technique oil painting
 His realistic and sensitive work brought
Renaissance painting in Venice to the same
level as Florence and Rome.

7. Portrait of Doge Leonardo
Loredan of Venice
1501
Giovanni Bellini
National Gallery, London
• The ruler of Venice was
known as ‘the Doge’
• Bellini’s portrait
perfectly captures his
role as the most
powerful figure in
Venice

8. Giorgione 1477- 1510
 The name means ‘big Giorgio’
 Giorgione died at a young age and not much is known of his life
 His paintings are dreamlike and mysterious
 They brought the new word 'poesie' meaning visual poetry to
Renaissance art.
 They are linked with particular style of poetry called the ‘Arcadia’.
 Arcadia was a fantasy landscape of peace and romantic love
 His most famous pupil was the artist Titian
 Titian probably finished several of his paintings

9. The Tempest
Giorgione
Accademia, Venice
•This is one of Giorgione’s
few works
•No one is sure of its exact
meaning
•The strange atmosphere
comes from the vibrant
brightness of a single flash of
lightening just before a storm
•The mother with her child
under the trees may
represent shelter

10. Concert Champêtre1508-09
Giorgione and Titian
Musée du Louvre, Paris
•This is another mysterious
painting of mythological
figures in a dreamy
landscape
•For a long time it was
thought to be by Giorgione
but was probably painted
or at least finished, by
Titian

11. Sleeping Venus c. 1510 Giorgione Gemäldegalerie, Dresden
•Giorgione was the first to paint the goddess sleeping beneath a tree seemingly
unaware of her nakedness
•The soft afternoon sunlight brings the landscape and girl together in a picture of
the poetic beauty
•The subject became very popular after that

12. Titian 1485-1576
 After Bellini's death, Titian became the
foremost painter in Venice
 He had gained great technical skills and new
methods of working from Giorgione
 He was the most expressive painter of his time
 His rich colours and soft painterly technique
were widely imitated.

13. Noli Me Tangere 1511-12
Titian
National Gallery, London
•In Latin meaning 'Do not touch me’
•One of Titian’s earlier works and
although a little awkward the figures
and landscape blend well together
•The subject matter refers to Christ
when he appeared to Mary Magdalen
after his death and Resurrection
•She reaches out to touch his
garment him saying “master” but he
tells her not to touch him.

14. Madonna with Saints and Members of
the Pesaro Family1519-26
Titian
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice
•Unusually the artist has moved the Holy Virgin
out of the centre of the picture
•He has placed St Peter in the centre on the
steps of her Heavenly seat
•He wears the bright blue colour usually given
to the Virgin
•St Francis stands to her left
•Included in the picture are the family
members

15. Assumption of the Virgin1516-18
Titian
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice
•Titian broke with tradition for
this bold new and very colourful
painting
•He worked on this huge
dramatic altarpiece for nearly
two years
•In a strong and powerful
twisting motion the Virgin and
angels soar above the heads of
the apostles
•It shows the influence of
Michelangelo and Raphael

16. Bacchus and
Ariadne1520-22
Titian
National Gallery, London
•The subject comes from classical poetry
•The wine god Bacchus falls in love with Princess Ariadne daughter of the King of Crete
•The theme is love at first sight
•It is also famous for its spectacular colours
•Ariadne’s gown and the sky are coloured with intense blue ultramarine
•This contrasts with strong red and beautiful gold orange pigments

17. The Venus of Urbino
Titian
Uffizi Gallery Florence
•Titian adapted Giorgione’s theme of Venus in this painting
•Unlike Giorgione’s innocent goddess Titian’s girl is awake and aware of the effect she has
on the viewer
•The picture was painted to celebrate a marriage
•The little dog curled up on the bed representing faithfulness is one of a number of
symbols referring to marriage

18. Ecce Homo
Titian
National Gallery of Ireland
•The artist painted this subject
many times
•This ‘Man of Sorrow’ with face in
shadow and downcast eyes was
painted when he was nearly 80
•The gentle figure of Christ is
bound, tortured, beaten and
crowned with thorns
•The soft painterly brushstrokes
add to the spiritual feeling of this
deeply moving image
Image from the National Gallery of Ireland website

19. Images from Web Gallery of Art www.wga.hu

20. Acknowledgements
Art Associates
Maria Moore
Margaret O’Shea
Local Facilitator Team
Aine Andrews
Joe Caslin
Jane Campbell
Siobhan Campbell
Niamh O’Donoghue
Niamh O’Neill
Keith O’Rahilly
Sheena McKeon
Tony Morrissey
Monica White
Many thanks to the following for their invaluable contribution to the European
Art History and Appreciation series of workshops and resource materials.
PDST Professional Development Service for Teachers

21. PDST Professional Development Service for Teachers
The PDST is funded by the
Department of Education and
Skills under the National
Development Plan 2007 -
2013
Cultural & Environmental Education
Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)
Dublin West Education Centre,
Old Blessington Road,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24
National Co-ordinator
Conor Harrison
Mobile: 087 240 5710
E-mail: conorharrison@pdst.ie
Administrator
Angie Grogan
Tel: 014528018 Fax: 014528010
E-mail: angiegrogan@pdst.ie.