Tintoretto
Tintoretto won the commission for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco by cheating. The competition required a sketch. He installed a finished painting overnight in the ceiling spot instead. The rules said they could not refuse a donated work. Veronese and the other competitors were furious.
Biography
His real name was Jacopo Comin. Tintoretto means little dyer, because his father Battista was a cloth dyer. He was born in Venice in 1518 and rarely left the city, which was unusual for a painter of his stature. Legend says he was briefly apprenticed to Titian but expelled after just days, supposedly because Titian was jealous of the boy's talent. The story is probably apocryphal but has been repeated since the seventeenth century. His studio motto, reportedly written on the wall, was: the drawing of Michelangelo and the colour of Titian.
He spent over twenty years painting the Scuola Grande di San Rocco cycle, more than sixty paintings. The Crucifixion there (1565) is one of the largest canvas paintings in the world. His Paradise in the Doge's Palace is even bigger: roughly seven by twenty-two metres. He was nicknamed Il Furioso for his rapid, energetic brushwork, and he deliberately undercut competitors on price as a business strategy, sometimes offering to work for the cost of materials only.
His daughter Marietta, called La Tintoretta, trained in his workshop disguised as a boy when young. She was a talented painter in her own right. She died at about thirty, and few works survive attributed to her.
Timeline
- 1518Born in Venice as Jacopo Comin. His father, Battista, was a cloth dyer, giving rise to the nickname Tintoretto, meaning little dyer.
- 1518According to legend, he was briefly apprenticed to Titian, but was supposedly expelled due to Titian's jealousy.
- 1542Painted "Deucalion and Pyrrha Praying before the Statue of the Goddess Themis" aged 24.
- 1547Painted "Ecce Homo (Pontius Pilate Presenting Christ to the Crowd)" aged 29.
- 1550Painted "Virgin and Child with Saint Catherine, Saint Augustine, Saint Marc and Saint John the Baptist" aged 32.
- 1560Painted "Apollo (possibly Hymen) crowning a Poet and giving him a Spouse" aged 42.
- 1565Painted "The Crucifixion" for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco; it is one of the largest canvas paintings in the world.
- 1565Won the commission for the Scuola Grande di San Rocco by installing a finished painting in place of a sketch, circumventing the competition rules.
- 1565Spent over twenty years painting the Scuola Grande di San Rocco cycle, creating more than sixty paintings.
- 1580Painted "Francesco II Gonzaga against Charles VIII of France 1495 in fighting the battle of the Taro" aged 62.
- 1580Painted "The Dead Christ Adored by Doges Pietro Lando and Marcantonio Trevisan" aged 62.
- 1594Died in Venice at 75.
Notable Works
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Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
How did tintoretto die?
Tintoretto died in 1635 at the age of 75.Is tintoretto renaissance?
Tintoretto was a Renaissance artist.Renaissance painter tintoretto?
Tintoretto was a Renaissance painter.Was tintoretto a mannerist?
Tintoretto adhered to the Mannerist concept of placing focus deep into the composition. His version of the Last Supper has Jesus at the end of a foreshortened table, surrounded by apostles and angels.What did tintoretto aim for in his art?
Tintoretto exploited the drama and fluid brushwork of Titian's later work. Vasari wrote that Tintoretto should not have abandoned the beaten track but rather followed the beautiful.What is tintoretto best known for?
Jacopo Comin, also known as Tintoretto, is best known for spectacular colour, dramatic perspective, striking light, and composition.What was tintoretto known for?
Jacopo Comin, also known as Tintoretto, is known for spectacular colour, dramatic perspective, striking light, and composition.Where did tintoretto live?
Tintoretto rarely left Venice, which was unusual for a painter of his stature.Why is tintoretto important?
References to portraits dominate the documents and early sources on Tintoretto. Indeed, the painter earned great fame in this category in his early maturity.Was tintoretto the father of mannerism?
Tintoretto adhered to the Mannerist concept of placing focus deep into the composition. His version of the Last Supper has Jesus at the end of a foreshortened table, surrounded by apostles and angels.What was tintoretto's goal in the last supper?
Tintoretto reportedly wanted to paint like Titian and to design like Michelangelo. He declared his ambition was to combine Titian's colour with Michelangelo's drawing.Who is tintoretto?
Tintoretto, whose real name was Jacopo Comin, was also known as Jacopo Robusti. The name Tintoretto means little dyer, because his father Battista was a cloth dyer.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Tintoretto.
- [1] book Susie Hodge, Art Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [2] book Susie Hodge, Art: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Artists and Their Work Used for: biography.
- [3] book Penelope J.E. Davies, Walter B. Denny, Frima Fox Hofrichter, Joseph Jacobs, Ann S. Roberts, David L. Simon, Janson's History of Art_ The Western Tradition (8th Edition) Used for: biography.
- [4] book Linda Murray, Late Renaissance & Mannerism Used for: biography.
- [5] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [6] book Rosand, David, Painting in cinquecento Venice : Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto Used for: biography.
- [7] book Williams, Robert; , Raphael and the Redefinition of Art in Renaissance Italy Used for: museum holdings.
- [8] book Gombrich, E. H. (Ernst Hans), 1909-2001, The story of art Used for: biography.
- [9] book Beckett, Wendy, The story of painting Used for: biography.
- [10] book Cole, Bruce, 1938-, Titian and Venetian painting, 1450-1590 Used for: biography.
- [11] book Frederick Ilchman with contributions by Linda Borean ... [et al.], Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese _ rivals in Renaissance Venice _ [in conjunction with the Exhibition Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese_ Rivals in Renaissance, Venice Museum of Fine Arts Used for: biography, museum holdings.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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