Jacopo Robusti, called Tintoretto

Jacopo Tintoretto’s nickname comes from his father’s occupation of dyer (tintore). He was one of the most important artists of sixteenth-century Mannerism and his works are characterised by muscular figures, dramatic poses and striking use of perspective. 

According to legend, Tintoretto was said to have been banished from Titian’s studio after a mere ten days. Aside from this short period with this master, Tintoretto did not receive any formal training, instead being selt-taught through buying and copying cheap prints, bas-reliefs and casts. He was known for working quickly, using paint in a rough and frugal way; this technique earned him the nickname Il Furioso. His early works comprised of decorative schemes for Venetian churches; his first major breakthrough came in 1548 with a commission for the Scuola de San Marco, resulting in his monumental Miracle of the Slave. The success of this painting established Tintoretto's reputation in the city and led to further commissions. 

The arrival of Paolo Veronese in Venice in 1551 marked the beginning of an enduring rivalry between this artist and Tintoretto; however Tintoretto was said to have undermined his competitors by producing his work at a lower cost. In the years that followed, Tintoretto worked prolifically. Noteworthy commissions included a number of decorative works for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, between 1565 and 1588, featuring some of the finest works of his career. The capstone of his oeuvre is arguably the vast canvas painting for the Doge's palace, Il Paradiso (Paradise). The work is still one of the largest paintings on canvas ever completed, measuring over 9 metres by 22 metres.

Tintoretto died in 1594, having undertaken little work since completing Il Paradiso. His reputation as one of Venice's greatest painters of the sixteenth century is testified by the extensive number of works still visible in churches and institutions across the city today. Having a lasting legacy, Jean-Paul Sartre called him ‘the first film director’ due to his imaginative story-telling ability in his compositions.