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14/9/2009

Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese

Musee du Louvre, Paris

Exhibition curators: Jean Habert, Curator in Charge, and Vincent Delieuvin, curator, assisted by Arturo Galansino, scientific
consultant, Department of Paintings, Musée du Louvre.

A major event at the Louvre: powerful canvases by the greatest Venetian painters of the sixteenth century are presented side by side in Napoleon Hall in an exhibition allowing visitors to observe the play of inspiration and admiration between these geniuses as well as the competitive nature of their artistic dialogue. Including eighty-five canvases, most of which have been loaned for the occasion by prestigious museums worldwide, the exhibition brings this noble rivalry into focus through juxtapositions of paintings treating the same or equivalent themes, thus demonstrating just how much these artists were influenced by one another or instead used their paintings as critiques or to put forward their own personal interpretations.
Although Titian, named official painter to the Republic in 1516, dominated the Venetian art scene, the arrival of later generations—Bassano, Tintoretto, Veronese, Palma the Younger—and the influence of artistic developments in central Italy, resulted in novel treatments of subjects favored by Venetian artists in the second half of the sixteenth century.

"Because he had a formidable rival in Veronese, Tintoretto was especially creative and daring in his paintings, since in the face of such competition, any artist is inclined to make it a point of honor not to be outdone."
These views expressed by Carlo Ridolfi in 1642 are certainly not limited to Tintoretto and Veronese. All major Venetian painters of this period modeled their approach to their art on those of their contemporaries, the preeminent figure among whom was, without any doubt, the uncontested and unequaled master Titian. Rivalry thus played a major role in shaping the development of Venetian painting.

The unique political regime of the Republic of Venice and its social structure largely favored artistic diversity. The presence of numerous wealthy families, whether of noble descent or not, the importance of the Church during this vibrant period of Counter-Reformation, and the network of powerful charitable fraternities or guilds, called scuole, meant that the scene was rife with work opportunities for artists, at a time when the awarding of commissions was decided with great freedom. The desire to attract the attentions of these various patrons gave rise, perhaps more than in any other place or time, to a climate of constant one-upmanship among painters. This rivalry would be officially recognized and further fomented through the competitions organized for the most prestigious commissions, as is done today for major architecture projects. This was the case, in particular, for the decoration of the Biblioteca Marciana, the Scuola di San Rocco, and most important of all, the Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Grand Council Chamber) in the Palazzo Ducale (Doges’ Palace).

In addition, Venetian artists of the latter half of the sixteenth century were confronted with the innovations and challenges brought by Mannerism. This little-known aspect of Venetian painting is also addressed within the exhibition, which explores the ways in which artists working in La Serenissima crafted a unique style, adapting the Mannerism of central Italy to their naturalistic world vision.

This exhibition is organized by the Musée du Louvre and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Eni is the main sponsor of this exhibition, which is also made possible thanks to the support and technological assistance provided by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. With France 2, France Inter, Le Parisien and Paris Match as media partners, And Thalys, ENIT (the Italian government tourist board), Alitalia and Air France as exhibition partners.

Image: Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian (1488/90–1576), Venus with a Mirror, Oil on canvas, 1.25 m x 1.05m, Andrew W. Mellon Collection 1937.1.34, National Gallery of Art, Washington © Courtesy Board of Trustees of The National Gallery of Art, Washington

Musée du Louvre / Communications Aggy Lerolle aggy.lerolle@louvre.fr
Press relations Céline Dauvergne +33 (0)1 40 20 84 66 / 54 52 (fax) celine.dauvergne@louvre.fr

Press opening
Tuesday, September 15, 2009, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Musée du Louvre
Rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris
Hours
Open daily except Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to
6 p.m., until 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and until by Philip Cottrell, University College, Dublin
10 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Admission fees
Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice only: €11
Permanent collections + Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice: €14 before 6 p.m., €12 after 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays
Free admission for youths under 18

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