Tintoretto

St Mark's Body Brought to Venice and Christ washing the Feet of the Disciples

Tintoretto (1519-1594) was born in Venice as Jakopo Comin, but he is also known as JakopoRobusti. His nickname Tintoretto means "little dyer," which he got after his father's profession of a fabric dyer. To the pleasure of many Tintoretto began to color fabrics too. Fortunately his fabrics were stretched on the wooden frames.Tintoretto's temperamental and impulsive style brought breath of fresh air into the late Venetian Renaissance and for his energetic style he was also called IL Furioso. Tintoretto inhis time did not enjoy such recognition as Titian and Veronese (another master of theRenaissance perspective) and had to endeavor for commissions. Tintoretto, an idiosyncratic character, was doing things on his own. Loose brush strokes; rich, brilliant colors are characteristic for his style. His figures, always occupied and full of motion, enhanced to the dramatics. His compositions are usually set in deep pictorial space. In order to properly plan the complex scenes, Tintoretto made a scaled model casted with a smallwax or clay figures. This way he could at will arrange the scene to observe the effects of light and shadow; to measure the distances of each object and apply it to the perspective system. Surrounded by his clay figures he kept a mystery of how his dramatic and innovative workwas created. He wanted to show things ina new light and didn't bother with smooth, careful finish and even though some of his paintings seemed unfinished, he refused to smooth them out. His pictures seem to be filled with hovering angels and fairies, full of spiritual ambience. The mystical atmosphere built within deep space is main feature of St Mark's Body Brought to Venice. The analysis uncovers the clues he left behind. Again we have structure of two squares, which equal the area of the picture itself and three circles. One circle with the center in the vanishing point, one with the center in the middle of the bottom side of the square and one in the middle of the bottom square. One circles with the ratio 1.618 to 1 (radius to halfside) and two with the ratio √1,618 to 1.

Notice the main angles that unfold from the vanishing point. The roofs of the buildings form an angle of 72 degrees. Same angle is formed by St Mark's body, which inclines along the purple line and roof of the right side building. The square tiles unwinds under the angle of 54.7 degree, which is based on 1, √2, √3 triangle. A man holding the tip of the cloth in the foreground points (green line) to where the circle and construction line meets on the right side. To the left crossing aims reim in the hand of a man in the background.