Choice, April 2001 -G. Knox
…every aspect of this important group of paintings is treated seriously and thoroughly, yet in a completely accessible way.


Book Description
Edited by Alte Pinakothek. Essays by Cornelia Syre, Bruno Heimberg, Veronika Poll-Frommel, and others. Alongside Titian and Veronese, Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594) is one of the most highly regarded 16th century Venetian painters, yet his Gonzaga Cycle, which belongs among the finest works of this era, has not been properly appreciated until now. Commissioned by Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga to paint a series of eight paintings for two still-existing rooms in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantova, Tintoretto completed the first part in 1579 and the second half in 1580. This publication features an extensive analysis of the finished paintings, and provides new insights into Tintoretto's methods, allowing for a new assessment of the complete cycle. With well-researched yet easily accessible essays about aspects of the cycle's history, style, iconography, and technique, this monograph is a significant contribution to studies on the leading mannerist of Venice.


About the Author
Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto was born in 1518 in Venice, the son of the silk-dyer Battista Robusti. He studied under Titian, and was strongly influenced by Michelangelo. It is commonly claimed that his motto was "Michelangelo's drawing, and Titian's color." His works are characterized by broad and dramatic composition, fine draughtsmanship, and a superb use of color. Tintoretto spent almost all his career in Venice, where he maintained a busy workshop producing a vast output of religious paintings, portraits, and a number of allegorical and mythological subjects.

FROM THE PUBLISHER