Few cities capture the romantic imagination quite like Venice, and its winding canals, picturesque buildings, and shimmering lagoon have intrigued visitors for centuries. Its unique geography—118 islands connected by a network of over 400 bridges—literally and figuratively sets it apart from the Italian mainland.
In art, this seclusion allowed the Renaissance to flourish in a way that was distinct from the more widely known developments in Florence, Rome, and other major Italian cities. Because of its strategic position on the Adriatic Sea and its formidable merchant class, Venice earned a position as Europe’s capital of international trade by the late Medieval era. Although the Venetian Republic was in decline by the early 16th century, the arts were politically protected, ensuring the city’s cultural significance for posterity.
Most artists of the Venetian Renaissance (spanning approximately 1440 to 1580) chose subject matter that was popular throughout Europe, and traditional Christian motifs could be found alongside newly popularized Greek and Roman mythologies. Venice’s masterful artists, however, interpreted these subjects in an original way, creating a beautiful, vibrant style characterized by rich colors, dramatic energy, attention to patterns and surfaces, and an interest in the effects of light. Many of the paintings most celebrated in the West emerged during this fruitful time in Venice.
The Bellini brothers, Giovanni and Gentile, painted many of the city’s signature artworks. Giovanni Bellini’s 1490 painting, “Madonna and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Elizabeth,” provides an apt example. Viewers will observe that the familiar biblical scene is rendered in a naturalistic, three-dimensional way—a cornerstone of the Renaissance movement. The women’s cloaks, however, are a striking blue; the paint contains precious lapis lazuli, a gemstone that Venetian merchants imported from the Middle East. (Ground into a pigment, it is known as ultramarine.) Likewise, John’s olive-green garment brilliantly reflects the light. This modest yet lustrous devotional painting was one of many that established Venice’s reputation for the resplendent use of color.
Giovanni Bellini’s 1514 painting, “Feast of the Gods,” also showcased the artist’s exquisite use of color. Commissioned by Alfonso I d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, the subject matter signals the aristocracy’s burgeoning interest in classical Greek and Roman stories. Adapted from works by ancient Roman poet Ovid, Bellini’s painting is one of the first to revive the Feast scene; notably, it became one of the most popular topics throughout Europe for the next two centuries.
Bellini’s version depicts the episode between Lotis and Priapus, though other versions represent the wedding of Cupid and Psyche or Peleus and Thetis. This variability allowed artists to capture a scene that most resonated with their patrons. Ovid’s narrative of Lotis and Priapus was published for the first time in Italian in 1497, in Venice, making Bellini’s iteration relevant for his audience. Famed Renaissance artist Titian revised the landscape in 1529, adding naturalistic, serene trees and an azure sky. Titian’s treatment of the pastoral landscape set the standard for successive artists. Both artists strategically combined mythology with contemporary elements.
Gentile Bellini similarly intertwined disparate times and places in his own masterwork, “Sermon of St. Mark in Alexandria.” The artist combines Venetian and Mamluk (Egyptian) architecture with a mountainous background that belonged to neither locale. The scene also weaves ancient and contemporary events, suggesting the eternal nature of the scene unfolding. Bellini portrays St. Mark the Evangelist preaching to a crowd of both Christians and Muslims. It is believed that St. Mark established the Church of Alexandria, one of the most significant episcopal sees in ancient Christendom. The buildings along the sides are reminiscent of the Mamluk architecture that Bellini likely encountered during his journey to Constantinople and Jerusalem. The central structure resembles St. Mark’s Basilica, which would have been clearly recognizable to Venetians; St. Mark is the patron saint of the city, and his relics were relocated from Alexandria, Egypt to Venice as early as the ninth century CE. The overall theme of the painting is optimistic; Bellini, along with his Christian compatriots throughout Italy, hoped to convert the Muslims of Alexandria to Christianity.
This relationship between Venice and the Islamic world, particularly the Ottoman Empire, politically defined much of the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1453, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, which had served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years; Byzantium was the Eastern half of the former Roman Empire and had been a Christian stronghold throughout this time.
Mehmed II brought Islam to Constantinople, but he also sought skilled Venetian artists. Gentile Bellini, then, had rare access to the sultan’s court, and he completed “Portrait of Sultan Mehmed II With a Young Dignitary” in 1479. Mehmed II most likely commissioned portraits as a way of circulating his image within his empire; however, the fact that he requested Italian portraitists speaks to the authority of artists such as Bellini.
In depicting the sultan, Gentile Bellini followed norms that artists commonly used to portray Venice’s doges (elected lords). One comparison is Giovanni Bellini’s “Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan.” In both portraits, the ruler is shown in partial profile from the chest up, resembling a Roman sculpted bust. They each wear the contemporary finery befitting their status, rather than displaying any ancient visual references. The portrait of the doge remarkably captures both the countenance and temperament of the sitter—emphasizing the way that Venice began discovering and asserting its identity during the Renaissance.
Venetian identity was also expressed through mythological imagery, which became increasingly fashionable. Tintoretto’s “Bacchus, Venus, and Ariadne” is an allegorical painting created for the Doge’s Palace, where it is still located. The scene depicts Ariadne, who personifies Venice, accepting a marriage proposal from the god Bacchus. Venus, goddess of both love and victory, hovers above, bestowing Ariadne with a crown of stars. The story glorifies Venice; the marriage represents the union of Venice with the sea—a union consecrated by the gods. In true Venetian style, the composition exudes dramatic energy.
Paolo Veronese also adapted familiar mythological tropes to create allegorical paintings. The artist depicts Hercules to convey moral lessons in “Allegory of Wisdom and Strength” and “Allegory of Virtue and Vice.” In the former, the female figure looking toward the heavens personifies divine wisdom; Hercules, looking at the jewels below, represents earthly concerns. In the latter work, Hercules must choose between virtue and vice, personified by two women pulling him in different directions. Ultimately, Virtue wins the struggle and viewers are reminded that Virtue must always prevail. While allegorical paintings were ubiquitous in Europe during the 16th century, Veronese pays special attention to the texture and patterns of the garments his figures wear.
São Paulo Museum of Art, São Paulo.
Many of the tenets of Venetian Renaissance artistic philosophy manifest most famously in Veronese’s 1563 masterpiece, “The Wedding Feast at Cana.” The oversize painting depicts the biblical Marriage at Cana, during which Jesus miraculously turns water into wine. Veronese frames the event with classical Greek and Roman architecture, while the feast itself is reminiscent of lavish banquet scenes familiar to and favored by Venetians of the time. The scene comes alive through a jubilation of music, food, and wine, while numerous revelers partake. Using ultramarine, among other popular pigments, Veronese’s palette is bright and saturated. Despite the multitude of figures, Jesus remains central, and his divine glow draws in viewers. In this way, the artist adheres to the composition conventions of his time while using the effects of light for both artistic and religious purposes.
While Roman and Florentine Renaissance masters such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael deservedly intrigue art aficionados the world over, their counterparts in Venice created an unparalleled style in their own right. Their bold palettes, dynamism, and textural details set a precedent that modern artists continue to emulate. As today’s viewers continue to discover 15th- and 16th-century European art, Venetian virtuosos such as the Bellini brothers, Tintoretto, and Veronese offer a compelling introduction to an unrivaled style.
