Religion in Venice. Venetian Republic

The Renaissance gave the world big number for real talented artists, sculptors and architects. And walking around Venice, visiting its palazzos and churches, you can admire their creations everywhere. This material with short notes In memory of some of the artists of the Venetian school found on the Internet, I am finishing a review of our trip to Venice.

It is believed that the flourishing period of the arts, called the Renaissance or Renaissance, dates back to the second half XIII century. But I won't swing at full review, but I will limit myself to information about some Venetian masters whose works are mentioned in my reports.

Bellini Gentile (1429-1507).

Gentile Bellini was a Venetian painter and sculptor. Bellini is a famous creative family; his father Jacopo Bellini and brother Giovanni Bellini were also artists. Besides the fact that he was born in Venice, other information about his youth and early stages the artist's work has not survived.

In 1466, Gentile Bellini completed the painting of the Scuola San Marco, begun by his father. First known independent work- painting of the organ doors of the Cathedral of San Marco, dated 1465. In 1474 he began work on large monumental canvases in the Doge's Palace. Unfortunately they died in a fire in 1577.

From 1479 to 1451 he worked in Istanbul as a court painter of Sultan Mehmed II, creating a series of paintings in which he tried to combine aesthetics Italian Renaissance with traditions oriental art. After returning to his homeland, the artist continued to create genre-historical paintings with views of Venice, including in collaboration with other masters.

Paying tribute to the undoubted talent and influence of the painter, specialists from the London National Gallery, they believe that he is noticeably inferior to his brother Giovanni Bellini.

Paying tribute to the undoubted talent and influence of the painter, experts at the London National Gallery believe that he is noticeably inferior to his brother Giovanni Bellini.

Bellini Giovanni (1430-1516).

Giovanni Bellini became recognized master during his lifetime, had many prestigious orders, but his creative destiny, as well as his fate most important works, is poorly documented and the dating of most of the paintings is approximate.

TO early period The artist’s oeuvre includes several Madonnas, one of them, the “Greek Madonna” from the Brera Gallery (Milan), decorated the Doge’s Palace, and came to Milan “thanks to” Napoleon. Another theme of his work is the Lamentation of Christ or Pieta; the artist’s reading of this scene became the prototype for a whole series of paintings with a half-figure of the dead Christ towering over the sarcophagus.

Between 1460 and 1464 Giovani Bellinion participated in the creation of altars for the church of Santa Maria della Carita. His works “Triptych of St. Lawrence", "Triptych of St. Sebastian", "Madonna Triptych" and "Nativity Triptych" are now in the Galleria dell'Accademia, Venice. The master's next major work is the polyptych of St. Vincenzo Ferrer in the Cathedral of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, consisting of nine paintings.

Over time, by the 1470s, Bellini's painting became less dramatic, but softer and more touching. This was reflected in the painting of the altar from Pesaro with scenes from the Coronation of Mary. Around 1480, Giovanni painted the Madonna and Child with Six Saints for the altar of the Venetian church of San Giobbe (St. Job), which immediately became one of his most famous works. Next major work The artist's painting is a triptych with the Madonna and Saints Nicholas and Peter in the Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Frari.

The Madonna and Child with Saints Mark and Augustine and the kneeling Agostino Barbarigo for the church of San Pietro Martire in Murano dates back to 1488. Researchers consider it a turning point in Bellini’s work, the master’s first experience in the field tonal painting, which will become the basis for the work of Giorgione and other later Venetian masters.

The continuation and development of this creative line is the painting “Holy Conversation” (Venice, Accademia Gallery). On it you can see how from the darkness of space the light snatches the figures of the Madonna, St. Catherine and St. Magdalene, united by silence and sacred thoughts.

Giovanni Bellini also painted portraits; they are few in number, but significant in their results.

Giorgione (1476-1510).

Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco, better known as Giorgione, is another famous representative Venetian school of painting was born in the small town of Castelfranco Veneto near Venice.

His creative path turned out to be very short - in 1493 he moved to Venice, becoming a student of Giovanni Bellini. In 1497, his first independent work appeared - “Christ Carrying the Cross”, in 1504 he performed hometown Castelfranco altarpiece "Castelfranco Madonna", the only painting for the church. In 1507-1508 he was involved in the fresco paintings of the German courtyard. He died in October-November 1510 during the plague epidemic.

From the very early works masters manifested main feature Giorgione's art is a poetic representation of the wealth of vital forces hidden in the world and man, the presence of which is revealed not in action, but in a state of universal silent spirituality.

Giorgione great attention paid attention to the landscape, which was not just a background for the figures on foreground, but played important role in conveying the depth of space and creating the impression of a painting. IN later works Giorgione is completely determined main topic The artist’s creativity is a harmonious unity of man and nature.

Giorgione's artistic heritage has had big influence on many Italian artists, some of Giorgione's unfinished works were completed after his death by Titian.

Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570).

Jacopo Sansovino - Renaissance sculptor and architect. Born in Florence, worked in Rome, made a huge contribution to the architecture of Venice.

In 1527, Sansovino left Rome, intending to go to France, but stayed in Venice. Here Titian took it into circulation, and the contract for the restoration of the main dome of the Basilica of San Marco forced him to abandon his plans. Soon Sansovino becomes the chief architect of the Venetian Republic.

Sansovino made a huge contribution to the architecture of Venice. Under his leadership, the library building was built: the Marciana Library in St. Mark's Square, the Loggetta, the Church of San Gimignano, the Church of San Francesco della Vigna, the Church of San Giuliano, the Facade of the Palazzo Corner on Grand Canal, Tombstone of Doge Francesco Veniera in the Church of San Salvador.

As a sculptor, Sansovino sculpted the statue of Mars and Neptune, mounted on main staircase Doge's Palace. Sansovino died in November 1570 in Venice.

Titian (1490-1576).

Titian Vecellio (Tiziano Vecellio) - Italian painter, largest representative Venetian school of the High and Late Renaissance. Titian's name ranks with such Renaissance artists as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

Titian painted paintings based on biblical and mythological stories, he also became famous as a portrait painter. He received orders from kings and popes, cardinals, dukes and princes. Titian was not even thirty years old when he was recognized as the best painter of Venice.

This master deserves much more than a few lines in this article. But I have an excuse. Firstly, I write primarily about Venetian artists, and Titian is a phenomenon not only of Italian, but also of global scale. Secondly, I am writing about worthy Venetian artists, but whose names may not even be very well known to a wide circle, but everyone knows about Titian, a lot has been written about him.

But not mentioning him at all would be somehow strange. I chose the paintings at random, I just liked them.

Andrea Palladio (1508-1580).

Andrea Palladio, real name Andrea di Pietro, was a Venetian architect. late Renaissance. The founder of the “Palladianism” movement, as an early stage of classicism. His style is based on strict adherence to symmetry, consideration of perspective and borrowing the principles of classical temple architecture Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome. Probably the architect who provided greatest influence in the history of architecture.

Born in Padua, in 1524 he moved to Vicenza, where he worked as a carver and sculptor. As an architect he worked throughout the region. Met many outstanding monuments Roman ancient and Renaissance architecture during trips to Verona (1538-1540), Venice (1538-1539), Rome (1541-1548; 1550-1554) and other cities. Experience and creative principles Palladio developed both as a result of the study of Vitruvius and the study of architecture and treatises of 15th century architects. Since 1558, Paladio has worked mainly in Venice.

In Venice, Palladio, commissioned by the Church, completed several projects and built a number of churches - San Pietro in Castello, the cloister of the church of Santa Maria della Carita (now the Accademia Museums), the facade of the churches of San Francesco della Vigna, San Giorgio Maggiore, Il Redentore, Santa Maria della Presentatione, Santa Lucia. Palladio designed the facades of contemporary churches following the example of ancient Roman temples. The influence of temples, usually shaped like a cross in plan, later became his hallmark.

Palladio built palazzos and villas in the city and surrounding areas. Designed by Palladio always takes into account the features environment, the building should look equally good from all sides. In addition, Palladian architecture provides porticoes or loggias, allowing owners to contemplate their lands or surroundings.

Early Palladio is characterized by special windows, which are usually called Palladian in his honor. They consist of three openings: a large central opening with an arch on top and two small side openings, separated from the central one by pilasters.

In 1570, Palladio published his Four Books on Architecture, which greatly influenced many architects throughout Europe.

Palma the Younger (1544-1628).

Giacomo Palma the Younger (Palma il Giovine) famous Venetian artist with significant advanced technology, no longer had the talent of his predecessors. Initially he worked under the influence of Tintoretto, then studied Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio in Rome for eight years.

Nevertheless, he is a Venetian artist and his paintings decorate the palazzos and temples of Venice, they are in private collections and in museums around the world. His best works are considered “Christ in His Arms” Holy Virgin" and "Apostles at the tomb of the Virgin Mary."

Tiepolo (1696-1770).

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo lived and worked in a different era, but also left his mark on the culture of Venice. Tiepolo is the largest artist of Italian Rococo, specializing in the creation of frescoes and engravings, perhaps the last of the galaxy of great representatives of the Venetian school.

Tiepolo was born in March 1696 in Venice, into a family far from creativity. His father was a skipper, a man simple origin. He managed to study painting; art historians note that the masters of the Renaissance, in particular Paolo Veronese and Giovanni Bellini, had the strongest influence on him.
At the age of 19, Tiepolo completed his first painting commission - the painting “The Sacrifice of Isaac.”

From 1726 to 1728, Tiepolo worked on behalf of an aristocrat from Udine, painting the chapel and palace with frescoes. This work brought him fame and new orders, making him a fashionable painter. In subsequent years he worked extensively in Venice, as well as in Milan and Bergamo.

By 1750 Venetian painter pan-European fame came, and he created his central European work - fresco painting of the Würzburg residence. Upon his return to Italy, Tiepolo was elected president of the Padua Academy.

Tiepolo completed his career in Spain, where in 1761 he was invited by King Charles III. Tiepolo died in Madrid in March 1770.

And I am completing a series of articles about Venice, its attractions and works of art. I really hope that in the near foreseeable future I will visit Venice again, use my notes and more than make up for what I didn’t have time to do on this trip.

While creating a series of articles about our visit to Venice, I constantly caught myself thinking that everything I was describing was directly related to the history of the republic. And for a complete understanding it is simply necessary to know, at least in general outline stages of formation, development and decline of Venice, understand its internal structure and features of relationships. Hence this article with a brief overview history of Venice.

The birth of Venice.

The name Venice goes back to the Veneti tribe, whose territory in the 3rd century BC. became part of the Roman Empire as the region of Venetia and Istria. At the beginning of the 5th century, Rome fell and the province was captured and devastated by the Visigoths. The founding date of Venice is considered to be March 25, 421 (on the day of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary), the day when the first inhabitants appeared on the deserted islands of the lagoon, fleeing from the barbarians. Thanks to good location, by the 8th century, Venice became a place of intense trade between European states and Byzantium.

The first documented election of the Doge of Venice occurred in 727, he became Orso (Orseolo) Ipato. But he is considered the third Doge of Venice, and there have been 117 of them in the more than thousand-year history of the republic. Some of the first Venetian doges received or tried to receive this post by inheritance, but more often than not, the inhabitants of Venice decided who would rule them.

According to the Peace of Nicephorus, concluded in 814, Venice, which formally remained part of Byzantium, actually gained independence. A strong move towards the complete independence of Venice was the acquisition of a patron saint by the republic. By choosing one of the evangelists as patron, Venice asserted its claims to a high position in Christendom, comparable to Rome.

According to legend, Saint Mark and his disciple found refuge during a storm on an island in the lagoon, where the settlement of Rialto subsequently arose. In 828, Venetian merchants stole the relics of St. Mark in Alexandria and brought them to Venice. In 832 the first St. Mark's Basilica was built.

Since 840, Venice received the right to full self-government, Venetians to travel by land and sea wherever they wished, and the Doge of Venice began to bear the title “glorious Duke of Venice.”

Queen of the Mediterranean.

Life on the islands and the lack of arable land became the reason for the development of navigation and trade. Venice became a transit point through which amber, silk, rice, coffee, spices, aromatic substances, as well as sugar, raisins and caviar from the Black Sea entered Europe. IN reverse side They sent silver, iron, warm woolen fabrics, timber and grain. The slave trade was going well. Venice itself and its surroundings also produced valuable goods: salt, fabrics, Murano glass.

For its success in the fight against Saracens, pirates and Normans at sea, Venice gradually achieved serious preferences in Europe in the 11th century. For example, Frankish merchants could not travel by sea further than Venice, and were forced to transfer their goods to the Venetians in the Rialto area. And at the same time, a “golden bull” was received from Byzantium - privileges in trade in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.

In 1004, the first Arsenal was founded in Venice. In 1094, the new Basilica of San Marco was consecrated, at that time considered the most luxurious Western cathedral and a symbol of the piety and wealth of the Venetians. At the end of the century came the First Crusade, for which Venice provided ships and finances. For this, Venice received a trading area and tax exemption in every city captured by the crusaders.

The 12th century was marked by a series of wars for Venice on land and at sea. With the Hungarians for Dalmatia, with Pisa and Genoa for the right to maritime trade. The Venetian fleet helped the Latin knights defeat the Egyptians in the battle of Ascalone, and on land they took part in the capture of Tire, for which they received further preferences for trade in the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

In the middle of the century, Venice took part in the European conflict between the pope and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. First joining one side, then the other, and ending with mutual reconciliation.

Venice continued the war on the side of Byzantium against the Normans and at the same time fought with Byzantium, concluding treaties with Muslims to assert its rights and privileges to trade in the Mediterranean.

Venice became fabulously rich from its participation in the Fourth Crusade. In addition to the usual provision of ships and finances, volunteers led by Doge Dandolo took part in the campaign. But the Venetians acted so un-Christianly that Pope Innocent III carried out the first excommunication of Venice from the church.

As a result of the actions of Venice, the goal of the Fourth Crusade was not the campaign for the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher, but the capture in 1204 of Constantinople, the capital of a rival, but still Christian state. The proteges of Venice became the new emperor and patriarch of Byzantium.

The cost of the loot in Constantinople amounted to a huge sum, of which Venice received three out of eight parts. The republic also received new territories from Dalmatia to the Black Sea, including the island of Crete and a virtual monopoly on maritime trade in the Mediterranean. However, from a strategic perspective, the fall of Constantinople, which enriched Venice, opened the way for the conquest of Asia Minor, and then a large part of Europe, by the Ottoman Turks.

In 1230, two monastic orders received registration in Venice - the Franciscans and the Dominicans. Thanks to them, two huge cathedrals were founded in the city - Santi Giovanni e Paolo and Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.

By 1261, Venice had lost Constantinople, which led to another series of wars with Genoa, which also claimed a leading role in Mediterranean trade. The wars went on with varying success and were accompanied by great casualties, human and financial, and in 1299 the Treaty of Milan was concluded between the parties. Subsequently, the war between Venice and Genoa continued for a century and a half.

In addition to Genoa, Venice was constantly in conflict with the Pope. The first excommunication has already been mentioned, and in May 1509 direct military conflict began. Pope Julius II organized an entire union of states for the war with Venice - the League of Cambrai (Papal States, France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, cities of Italy...). As a result of the conflict, Venice was forced to submit to the authority of the pope. But skillful diplomacy made it possible not only to lose nothing, but also to conclude an alliance with the pope against France.

In 1605, the demands of Pope Paul V again seemed excessive to the Venetians and the Vatican imposed another interdict on Venice, which was settled through the mediation of France.

The rise of the Venetian Republic.

The development of trade and navigation inevitably led to the development of banking and insurance. The first bank on Rialto appeared in the middle of the 12th century. Taxes in Venice were significantly lower than in Byzantium and in European countries, which contributed to the influx of capital. Paved streets and squares began to appear in the city, along with the first oil lighting.

In the 12th and 13th centuries in Venice, galleys and galleasses with a capacity of up to 200 tons were built at the Arsenal shipyards. Since 1284, Venice began minting its own coin - the Venetian gold ducat, also known as the sechina. During the election of Doge Lorenzo Tiepolo in 1268, a multi-stage voting system was first tried. He also became the first Doge to take an oath or oath to the people of Venice.

The 13th century is the time of “Terra Ferma” of the development of the mainland territories of the Venetian Republic. The territories of Terraferma had a certain independence, under the general control of the Venetian Senate and the Council of Ten. The provinces brought income to Venice, and there was also cultural exchange between them (for example, Titian, Veronese and Palladio came from the provinces).

The expansion of Venice on the Italian coast led to the fact that a number of wealthy cities, such as Padua, Vicenza, Verona, were forced to pay tribute to it. The colonies and territories controlled by Venice stretched from greek islands Aegean Sea to Friuli and Bergamo and from the Po River to the Alps.

From the beginning of the 14th century, Venice began sending ships beyond Gibraltar to England and Flanders. The total tonnage of the Venetian fleet in the 14th century reached 40 thousand tons. By the 15th century, Venice had finally established itself as the main maritime shopping center The West, where merchants from Italy, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands purchased goods coming from the Levant.

In 1463, a radical reform of the Venetian financial system was carried out. Tax assessment began to take place using a special cadastre, where all the taxpayer’s income was summarized. And in 1494, a treatise was published in which the so-called double accounting entry was first described, then it was called “keeping books according to the Venetian model,” which has been accepted to this day. Book printing developed; in the 15th century in Venice it was printed three times more books than in Rome, Milan and Florence combined.

The Turkish threat and the decline of Venice.

In 1453, the Turks conquered Constantinople, beginning to threaten Venice's Mediterranean trade. The next 250 years passed in continuous wars with the Turks, exhausting the strength of the Venetian Republic.

In addition to the Turks, the threat to Venice's trade was the growth sea ​​travel. In 1499, Portugal established a new sea route to India, around the Cape Good Hope, breaking the Venetian monopoly on the spice trade.

By the middle of the 16th century, the situation with spices had improved a little, but the discovery of the New World and the penetration of the Dutch into the Indian Ocean finally disavowed its importance. trade route through the Middle East. Having lost in the struggle for spices, the Venetians were forced to increase their trade in silk, cotton, carpets from the Levant, and woolen fabrics.

On October 7, 1571, the most significant naval battle took place in the Turkish theater of war. In the Gulf of Corinth, near the port of Lepanto, the united fleet of Christians, which included ships from Venice, Spain and the Papal States, defeated the Turkish fleet. Nevertheless, in the same 1571 Cyprus was lost.

But despite the losses, the 16th century was the heyday of Venice in art and architecture. This is the time of the painting of Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese and the architecture of Andrea Paladio.

WITH early XVII centuries, Venetian ships sailed in the Mediterranean Sea only as part of a convoy, the Venetian flag lost its status as a respected guarantor of security. The end of the century was marked by individual successes associated with Francesco Morosini, but in 1699 Crete was finally lost. And then the forces of Venice remained only to maintain neutrality.

And again, regardless of military defeats in the 18th century, life in the city of Venice itself was in full swing. Venice was the only city in Europe where they were officially allowed gambling, there were seven operating in the city major theaters, luxury goods were produced, musicians, singers, pleasure-seekers and adventurers from all over Italy and Europe flocked here.

The 18th century is the time of frescoes by Tiepolo, landscapes by Canaletto and Francesco Guardi, music by Antonio Vivaldi and Tommaso Albinoni, dramaturgy by Carlo Goldoni and Carlo Gozzi. However, holidays, magnificent festivals and carnivals undermined the well-being of Venice no worse than wars.

The Republic ceased to exist May 12, 1797, when at the Great Council Doge Ludovico Manin abdicated the throne for Venice The time of Napoleon began. On May 15, 1797, French troops entered Venice and during their short stay thoroughly plundered the city.

On this, after more than thousand years of history existence, Venice ceased to be an independent state, becoming first a province of France, then Austria, and then the new united Italy.

After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, many representatives of the Greek aristocracy and intelligentsia fled to Crete, which was under Venetian rule, thereby contributing to the local prosperity Byzantine culture and art. Then a new direction appeared in painting - the so-called “Cretan school” with a tangible influence of Byzantine and Italian Renaissance, whose representatives were Mikhail Damaskinos, Klondzas, Ioan Kornaros. IN last years Cretan literature also reached Venetian rule, outstanding works which are “Erophila” and “Panoria” by Vincenzo Hortatzis, “The Sacrifice of Abraham” and the famous “Erotokritos” by Vincenzo Kornaros.

Venice is a city in northern Italy, geographically occupying a group of islands. The climate in Venice is temperate, similar to the climate of Crimea, summers are hot and winters are mild.

The history of Venice is full of ups and downs. Today we will learn how the city on the water came into being.

The name of the city comes from the Veneti tribe, who inhabited the territory of the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea during the times. This territory was captured by the Romans and named Aquileia. Aquileia later became the administrative center of the province of Venetia. In 402 the province was ravaged by the Visigoths. According to legend, Venice was founded by residents of the province who fled from the Goths on March 25, 421. Settlement began with the Rialto Islands and continued during the decline of the Roman Empire. The main source of income for the inhabitants of the islands was fishing, salt mining and coastal navigation.

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While the tribes of the Huns, Lombards and Ostrogoths ravaged the cities of the Western Roman Empire, Venice, thanks to its isolated position and the fact that the inhabitants learned to build houses on stilts and live on the water, avoided the fate of mainland cities. The invasion of militant barbarians led to the resettlement of wealthy mainlanders to the islands.

The result of this was fast growth trade and transportation of goods, since the escaped nobility invested in these industries.

In the 6th century, Venice had the most powerful fleet on the Adriatic, which supported Emperor Justinian in the Eastern Roman Empire's war with the Ostrogoths. In gratitude, Byzantium granted Venice its protection and trading privileges. The Venetians elected their first Doge in 697. For more than 1000 years, Venice had 117 doges in power.

Due to its unique location, Venice was a trade and transport hub through which silk, rice, coffee and spices, which at that time were worth more than gold, reached Europe.

Middle Ages and trade

The competent policy of Doge Pietro Orseolo II, Morganist marriages, and the help Byzantium provided by Venice against the Saracens further increased the privileges of Venetian merchants. The “golden bull” given by Byzantium halved the duty on Venetian ships arriving in Constantinople. During times crusades Venice increased its wealth through loans to the crusaders and chartering ships. With varying success, for almost two centuries, Venice waged wars with Genoa, which were based on trade rivalry. In the 12th century, the first banks opened in Venice. Venetian sailors were the first to insure their cargo.

In the XII-XIII centuries, large ships with a displacement of up to 200 tons began to be built in the shipyards of Venice.

To increase your economic power Venetian Republic annexed mainland territories called terraferma. In 1494, the Venetian Luca Pacioli systematically described double-entry bookkeeping, which is successfully used in the modern world.

Decline

Since the 15th century, when great things were accomplished geographical discoveries, Venice lost its position to Portugal, Spain, Holland and England. TO XVIII century Venice has lost its former power, most of mainland possessions passed to Austria. But the city itself shone with splendor. During this period, gambling and prostitution became widespread in Venice.

On May 1, 1797, Napoleon declared war on Venice. Big tip decided to fulfill all the requirements, on May 12, Doge Ludovico Manin abdicated the throne.

For the first time in more than a thousand years, Venice lost its independence.

The city's economy was undermined by the French continental blockade. But time passed, in 1869 the Suez Canal was opened, a new port was built in Venice, and the city became popular place to begin the journey to the East. The tourism business is developing, annual international art exhibitions Since 1932, the international film festival “Golden Lion” has been held.

Venice was the last of the Italian cities, not earlier than the middle of the 15th century, to become imbued with the ideas of the Renaissance. Unlike the rest of Italy, she lived it in her own way. A prosperous city that avoided military conflicts, a center of maritime trade, Venice was self-sufficient. Its masters kept themselves apart to such an extent that when the Florentine Vasari in the middle of the 16th century began collecting material for “Biographies of the Most famous painters, sculptors and architects,” he was unable to obtain details of the biographies of people who lived a century earlier, and united everyone in one short chapter.


Bellini. "The Miracle of St. Lawrence Bridge." From the point of view of Venetian artists, all the saints lived in Venice and sailed on gondolas.

The masters of Venice did not rush to Rome to study ancient ruins. They liked Byzantium much more and Arab East, with whom the Venetian Republic traded. Moreover, they were in no hurry to renounce medieval art. And the two most famous city buildings - St. Mark's Cathedral and the Doge's Palace - represent two beautiful architectural “bouquets”: the first included motifs Byzantine art, and in the second the medieval pointed arch and Arabic pattern coexist.

Leonardo da Vinci, the great Florentine, condemned painters who were too carried away by the beauty of color, considering relief to be the main advantage of painting. The Venetians had their own opinion on this matter. They even learned to create the illusion of volume, almost without resorting to color and shadow, but using different shades one color. This is how Giorgione's Sleeping Venus was written.

Giorgione. "Storm". The plot of the film remains a mystery. But it is clear that the artist was most interested in the mood, the state of mind of the character in the present, in in this case pre-storm moment.

Artists Early Renaissance They painted paintings and frescoes with tempera, which was invented in ancient times. Oil paints have been known since antiquity, but painters developed a liking for them only in the 15th century. The first technology oil painting perfected by Dutch masters.

Since Venice was built on islands in the middle of the sea, the frescoes were quickly destroyed due to high humidity. The masters also could not write on boards, as Botticelli wrote his “Adoration of the Magi”: there was a lot of water around, but not enough forest. They wrote on canvas oil paints, and in this they were more like modern painters than other Renaissance painters.

Venetian artists had a cool attitude towards science. They were not distinguished by the versatility of their talents, knowing only one thing - painting. But they were surprisingly cheerful and gladly transferred to the canvases everything that pleased the eye: Venetian architecture, canals, bridges and boats with gondoliers, a stormy landscape. Giovanni Bellini, a famous artist in his time in the city, became carried away, according to Vasari, portrait painting and so infected his fellow citizens with this that every Venetian who had achieved any significant position was in a hurry to order his portrait. And his brother Gentile allegedly shook the Turkish Sultan to the core by painting it from life: when he saw his “second self,” the Sultan considered it a miracle. Titian painted many portraits. Living people were more interesting to the artists of Venice than ideal heroes.

The fact that Venice was late with innovations turned out to be opportune. It was she who preserved, as best she could, the achievements of the Italian Renaissance in the years when it had faded away in other cities. The Venetian school of painting became a bridge between the Renaissance and the art that replaced it.