Rebuilding The Renaissance

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. 

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.

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!

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.

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,...

Stretching 120m in length with its walls covered entirely in 16 th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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 Euro...

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.

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.

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 9 th century.

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...

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. 

Michelangelo worked on the unfinished "Rondanini Pietà" (1552-1564) until the last days of his life. Tragic and frail in appearance, the sculpture is often interpreted as reflecting the fragile state of mind of an extraordinary artist in the twilight of his life. The "Rondanini Pietà" is on display at Sforza Castle in Milan, Italy.

At about 75 years of age, Michelangelo began carving his second "Pietà" statue. Michelangelo was clearly trying to up his game by carving a group of four figures from a single block of marble. But the most intriguing aspect of this statue is that the extensive visible damage was inflicted by Michelangelo himself, allegedly for his dissatisfaction with the work. This episode unpacks the complex per...

At the ripe old age of 71, Michelangelo took over the direction of the most important building project in Europe – the   Fabbrica   of St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo redesigned the great building and saw construction through to the base of the cupola. This project would occupy the last 17 years of his life and consume nearly all his creative energies. This episode examines Michelangelo's role...

Shortly after completing the "Conversion of St. Paul" fresco in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the 70-year-old Michelangelo began his complimentary "Crucifixion of St. Peter." While the image of St. Peter crucified in an upside-down position was quite common in Rome, it was unusual to see him in process of being hoisted upwards as Michelangelo depicted. This episode ana...

Even before completing "The Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Paul III had chosen Michelangelo to decorate the walls of his new namesake chapel – the Pauline Chapel. Used as an antechamber to the Sistine Chapel, the Pauline Chapel contains Michelangelo's last two paintings. This episode discusses the history and function of the chapel, as well as the first of the two frescoes executed by...