Venetian Renaissance
1510–1576Venice prioritized color (colorito) over drawing (disegno). Oil on canvas became dominant, enabling richer glazes.
Oil on canvas. Venice's trade routes brought exotic pigments. Humid climate favored oil over fresco.
Titian
1488–1576Italian (Venetian)
Supreme colorist of the Renaissance. 70-year career evolving from jewel-bright to dissolved brushwork.
Pioneered colored grounds and built forms through successive glazes of contrasting temperature. Late broken brushwork anticipated Impressionism.
Further reading: Titian (Taschen Basic Art) — Ian G. KennedyPigments: Vermilion · Orpiment · Lead-tin yellow · Ochre · Lead white · Ultramarine · Umber · Bitumen · Verdigris
Tintoretto
1518–1594Italian (Venetian)
Il Furioso — explosive energy. Combined Titian's color with Michelangelo's drawing.
Extraordinary speed on dark-toned grounds. Pulled highlights from shadow with thick impasto.
Further reading: Lives of Tintoretto — Giorgio Vasari, Carlo Ridolfi, et al. (Getty Publications)Pigments: Umber · Lead white · Ultramarine · Vermilion · Madder and the red lakes · Verdigris · Ochre
Giorgione
1477–1510Italian (Venetian)
Enigmatic founder of Venetian High Renaissance. Tiny oeuvre (~6 works), invented tonal painting.
Among first to paint directly in oil without detailed underdrawing. Built form through tone and color alone.
Further reading: Giorgione — Jaynie AndersonPigments: Azurite · Green earth · Ochre · Lead white · Lead-tin yellow · Vermilion · Sienna · Lamp black · Verdigris
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