After an inauspicious beginning to his artistic career in Rome, Caravaggio’s photorealistic style and “street” iconography began to draw the attention of some important patrons. The most important of the patrons was Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, whose patronage launched Caravaggio’s career. This episode will examine Caravaggio’s paintings and his entirely new approach to painting, which involved a close observation and faithful reproduction of nature and the introduction of non-traditional...
Nov 01, 2023•28 min
Known as the “pittore maledetto” – or the “cursed painter”, Caravaggio not only revolutionized painting at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries with his “hyper-realistic” style, but he also literally turned Rome on its head with his often-criminal behavior. Spending much of his time between brothels and taverns, Caravaggio’s love of the vulgar and violence became his primary artistic inspiration. His paintings would often reflect his sociopathic lifestyle, frequently depicting Christian subje...
Oct 25, 2023•26 min
From the water source of the Neptune Fountain in Florence, to the animal symbolism of the Nativity subject, to the restorations of Masacccio’s Brancacci Chapel and “Holy Trinity,” to how Leonardo’s notebook ended up in the Windsor collection, to the accuracy of historical fiction movie and television series dealing with the Renaissance and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.
Oct 18, 2023•32 min
Left unfinished at this death in 1576, Titian’s “Pietà” was intended to serve as his funerary monument. Its extreme use of loose brushstroke and unconventional color combinations led one art historian to describe the painting as an example of “chromatic alchemy.”
Oct 11, 2023•18 min
Painted in the last year’s of Titian’s life, the “Crowning with Thorns” in Munich revisited a theme that he painted 30 years earlier in a painting today located in the Louvre in Paris. Examined side by side, there is perhaps no better way to demonstrate the dramatic evolution of Titian’s style to very loose and suggestive brushwork in the final stage of his career.
Oct 04, 2023•20 min
Painted around 1565, this exquisite painting exemplifies Titian’s later style with its loose brushstroke, sophisticated use of color, and delicate tonal transitions. The meaning of the painting is somewhat controversial as it does not fall into any traditional iconographical schemes and has consequently resulted in various scholarly theories being proposed.
Sep 27, 2023•20 min
In 1573, Paolo Veronese was commissioned by the Dominicans at the church of Saints Giovanni and Paolo in Venice to paint a “Last Supper” to replace an earlier version by Titian that had been destroyed by fire. The result was a massive image full of numerous figures engaged in a hedonistic celebration. Not surprisingly, a few months after completing the painting, the artist was called before the Holy Tribunal of Venice to answer to accusations of indecorous religious painting. Veronese was able t...
Sep 20, 2023•21 min
In 1562, Veronese was commissioned to paint a massive painting of the “Wedding Feast at Cana” to adorn the end wall of the refectory of the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio in Venice, Italy. What he produced was an extraordinary impression of typical Venetian revelry in the late 16th century with more than 100 figures participating in the great feast.
Sep 13, 2023•20 min
Paolo Veronese is the third member of the great Venetian late Renaissance trio that also includes Titian and Tintoretto. The church of San Sebastiano in Venice was decorated over 15 years with paintings exclusively by Veronese and is a veritable shrine to the genius of this great painter.
Sep 06, 2023•21 min
This episode addresses the paintings in the second half of the Chapter Hall of the Scuola, which focus specifically on the theme of food with scenes of “Manna Falling from Heaven” and the “Last Supper.”
Aug 30, 2023•18 min
Once he completed his paintings for the Albergo, Tintoretto continued the decoration of the Scuola with a series of paintings for the Chapter Hall. These paintings are some of Tintoretto’s best and demonstrate his revolutionary approach to painting.
Aug 23, 2023•24 min
Tintoretto’s paintings in the Albergo (board room) of the Scuola of San Rocco are dramatic representations of the Passion of Jesus Christ. From his tragic “Ecce Homo” all the way to his Hollywood-style “Crucifixion,” Tintoretto produced some of the most innovative and theatrical paintings of the Renaissance.
Aug 16, 2023•25 min
In 1564, the Scuola of San Rocco announced a competition for the commission for the ceiling paintings of the Albergo (board room) of their meeting house. True to his nature, Tintoretto surprised and outwitted all his competitors. Find out how in this episode!
Aug 09, 2023•20 min
The Scuola Grande of San Rocco in Venice, Italy, is the only active “scuola,” or confraternity, in the city. It has maintained its original appearance and magnificent decoration – nearly all of which was by Tintoretto - for the last five centuries. This podcast explores the history of the scuola and its importance to Venice.
Aug 02, 2023•22 min
From the original location and patron of Donatello’s “Mary Magdalene,” to the influence of Giotto on Taddeo Gaddi, to the original meeting hall of the Florentine government, to the dome of St. Peter’s, to the authenticity of the recently discovered “Flaget Madonna” attributed by some to Raphael, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists and history of the Italian Renaissance.
Jul 26, 2023•21 min
Stretching 120m in length with its walls covered entirely in 16th century maps of various Italian city states, principalities, and islands, the Gallery of the Maps is one of the most spectacular spaces in the Vatican Museums.
Jul 19, 2023•17 min
Still located in the Loggia dei Lanzi where it was installed in 1583, the “Rape of the Sabine” was produced for Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici. While the group of three figures may seem like a fitting representation of the mythological event where Roman men took Sabine women as their wives, the statue was originally subject-less.
Jul 12, 2023•16 min
The dome frescoes of Florence Cathedral cover nearly an acre of dome surface, making it the world’s largest fresco. Begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed by Federico Zuccari in 1579, the main subject of the fresco is the Last Judgment and incudes some strikingly graphic imagery in the Hell sections.
Jul 05, 2023•22 min
Commissioned by Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici for the marriage of his son Francesco to Johanna of Austria, the massive fountain occupies the northwestern corner of the Palazzo Vecchio. Portraying the duke as the god of the sea, the fountain imagery was intended to glorify the Medici dynasty, but was not well received by their subjects.
Jun 28, 2023•18 min
This painting is the last of six paintings that make up Titian’s extraordinary “Poesie” series for King Philip II of Spain. Of all six, it is in the worst state of conservation and went through major compositional changes while it was being painted. Nevertheless, the “Perseus and Andromeda” is an important work of beauty, innovation, and visual interpretation of a classical literary source.
Jun 21, 2023•15 min
One of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Renaissance painting, Titian’s painting depicts the abduction of the nymph Europa by Jupiter, who has disguised himself as a bull. Titian employs all of his painterly skill to create a dazzling array of textures, colors, and images that coalesce into a hypnotically beautiful work of art.
Jun 14, 2023•15 min
Part of Titian’s magnificent “Poesie” series which he painted for King Philp II of Spain in the 1550s, the “Diana and Callisto" represents the exposure of the pregnancy of the nymph Callisto who had been loved by Jupiter.
Jun 07, 2023•17 min
The third of six paintings constituting Titian’s famous “Poesie” series for King Philip II of Spain, “Diana and Acteon” represents a mythological account of divine punishment. A hapless hunter named Acteon stumbles upon Diana, goddess of chastity and of the hunt, and is punished for violating her decency by being transformed into a stag and killed by his own hounds.
May 31, 2023•17 min
Part of Titian’s six mythological paintings for King Philip II of Spain known as the “Poesie,” the innovative and sensual “Venus and Adonis” was the most popular. We know this because some 30 versions of the painting exist today, all of which can be traced back to 2 main prime types – the Prado and the Farnese versions – both of which are discussed in this episode.
May 24, 2023•19 min
In 1544, Titian produced the first of at least six versions of the Danaë subject for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III. Shortly thereafter, a second version was painted and sent to King Phillip II of Spain. The immense popularity of Titian’s sensual painting style combined with the erotic nature of the subject made the “Danaë” one of the most famous paintings of Renaissance Europe.
May 17, 2023•22 min
Titian’s six “poesie” – or “painted poems” – depict subjects from classical mythology and were painted for King Philip II of Spain. The paintings represent a landmark in the history of western art and exemplify the Venetian master’s late style that was characterized by dramatic subjects, sensual forms, and loose, almost “impressionistic” brushwork.
May 10, 2023•19 min
Another of the great canvases for the Scuola Grande of San Marco dramatically depicts the episode where the body of the evangelist was discovered. The dark painting is dominated by theatrical chiaroscuro and showcases unconventional characters and gestures.
May 03, 2023•19 min
Fourteen years after exploding onto the art scene in Venice, Tintoretto produced another dramatic work for the Scuola Grande of San Marco. The intense painting depicts the legendary story of two Venetian merchants stealing the body of St. Mark away from Alexandria in the 9th century.
Apr 26, 2023•20 min
The Venetian painter Tintoretto exploded onto the art scene in his native city with this large canvas depicting St. Mark rescuing one of his devotees from a horrific death. With its dramatic proscenium characterized by strong foreshortening and dramatic spotlighting, as well as a surprising and daring representation of St. Mark, Tintoretto introduced a style of painting that Venice – or the world – had never seen.
Apr 19, 2023•20 min
Although he died in Rome, the nearly-89-year-old Michelangelo was buried in a tomb in the great Franciscan Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. Discover the tomb monument that celebrates the genius of the divine artist in this episode.
Apr 12, 2023•19 min
