Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice

This is the catalogue published to accompany the exhibition of the same name mounted by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 2009 and which then traveled to the Museum of the Louvre in Paris. I was fortunate to be able to see the exhibition a couple of times in Boston, but I have just now acquired the catalogue, in order to be able to read it along with the one from the current "Masters of Venice" show in San Francisco (see my review on this website). I am very glad I did, and I would urge anyone interested in Italian Renaissance art to acquire it now, while it is still in print and available at the original price, because it is a real gem. The exhibition itself was spectacular, and the catalogue does it full justice. All fifty-six of the exhibited paintings are reproduced full-page and in excellent color, and they are accompanied by 112 quarter-page or half-page comparison illustrations, almost all also in color and extremely well arranged to complement the catalogue entries. I agree with the reviewer Ivor Zetler that the full-page detail reproductions he refers to should have been identified, but I did not find that quite so irksome, as most of them are only a few pages away from their sources. The written contributions are largely by the most eminent scholars in their fields and equally excellent. There are interesting essays on patronage, on collecting, and on the materials and techniques available to sixteenth-century artists. The introductory essay, by Frederick Ilchman, who mounted the exhibition in Boston and is now the MFA's Curator of Paintings, is an excellent discussion of the relatively new artistic phenomenon of easel painting with oils on canvas and the attendant "invention" of brushstrokes, as well as the rivalry (the word is well chosen--he makes clear that this was more than mere "competition") the new possibilities occasioned. The most engaging aspect of the catalogue is its organization. Rather than taking the three artists one by one, or following a straight chronology, the arrangement is by theme and topic. There are eight major themes (e.g., "Sacred Themes, " "Tactile Vision: The Female Nude," "Portraiture"), and within each theme are several narrower topics (e.g., for the nude theme "Objects of Desire," "The Nude and the Mirror," and "Allegories of Love and Fertility"). Each of these topics, then, amounts to a succinct, several-page essay on its subject, comparing paintings of at least two--and in some cases all three--of the artists, with references to and illustrations of yet other painters. Most of these mini-essays are by Ilchman himself or in collaboration with Robert Echols; the nude-theme essays are contributed by Columbia University professor David Rosand, whose works on Venice and Venetian painting are well known, and much of the portrait material was done by John Garton, a Clark University art historian who has recently written the definitive study of Veronese's portraiture. I found this to be a very successful way of marshaling a quite diverse body of information. Although the exhibition and catalogue focussed on only three painters, their centrality and the expansive nature of the discussion make this book something like a general introduction to Venetian Renaissance painting. It is made additionally valuable by the conscientious annotation of the texts, the inclusion of a checklist providing complete provenance and selected references to the catalogue paintings, notes on the figure illustrations, a chronology, a selected bibliography, and a detailed index. This is a volume equally useful to the general reader and to the specialist.

The extensive research on these artists is evident. The text is elegantly written: both "easy to read" but deep in content. The color plates are of incredible quality - A beautiful, informative, and enjoyable book!

This book provides an interesting look at the art world of 16th century Venice and the personalities, techniques, strategy, and working methods of three of the greatest painters of their (or any) time. Excellent read with many good illustrations which allow a study of the differences in approach to the same subjects by Titian, Tintoretto, and Varonese.

catalog of exhibit at MFA (Boston) Wonderful discussion and reproductions

This splendid catalogue documents the rivalry between Titian, Tintoretto and Titian in words and paintings. This exhibition had 56 paintings on display; and what a succession of great works they are! As would be expected, the informed reader would notice a number of previously familiar paintings. There are however a significant proportion of works that would be seen for the first time. I have one significant complaint about this otherwise excellent publication. There are 17 full page illustrations, detail reproductions of works appearing in other parts of the catalogue, that receive no written identification. This carelessness is very annoying and surprizing. Despite my single criticism, I still strongly recommend this excellent book for the interesting text and succession of magnificent paintings. Tintoretto fans are urged to investigate the superb Prado catalogue edited by Miguel Falomir. Even better, visit Venice and see his massive and untransportable masterpieces in person!

These Three artists are my favourite painters. Especially Tintoretto whose expresshion is very dinamic and wonderful movement. .I feel like looking at the plays in theatres.

I was also lucky enough to see this exhibit when it came to Boston in 2009. It was absolutely incredible, room after room after room of breathtaking 16th century Venetian Renaissance works of art. I confess a definite bias towards Titian, whom I think very rightly deserves the title of undisputed master of the Venetian Renaissance. The fine detail in his paintings seems to defy possibility, with lace so delicate one is afraid to get too close to the work for fear of damaging the fabric. After spending a few hours in the exhibit, I could not avoid picking this book up in the MFA's bookshop (which they had rather strategically -- or cynically, depending on your point of view -- placed on the way out of the exhibit, so that one had to pass through it in order to leave). Frankly I'm glad the MFA forced me to at least pass by, because I'm not sure I would've made my way to the shop if it wasn't directly in my path. While in the store I hoped to find something small to buy so that I could have a memento of attending the exhibit, which was by far the best I've had the privilege of seeing at the Boston MFA, or truthfully, at any other fine art museum in my life. I noticed this book, which was not quite the memento I had in mind, and though I did balk a bit at the $40.00 price tag, as a poor college student, it was more than worth every penny. I still fairly regularly pop the book off its shelf to browse. As Kenneth Hughes says above, this book truly does the exhibit "full justice". I urge anyone who's intrigued at all by this item to pick it up; you will NOT be disappointed in the least.

It is a beautiful book, strong on history, , I only wish it was about Michelangelo, Raphael and Da Vinci...