Gazing at this ancient facade, do you sense the echoes of a genius who once called this place home? This is Tintoretto’s house. It is located in the Cannaregio district. It stands as a testament to the life and legacy of Jacopo Robusti. He was known to the world as Tintoretto.
Tintoretto was born in this very house around 1518 or 1519. He lived here nearly all his life until his death in 1594. A plaque graces the facade. It urges visitors to remember the house of Jacopo Robusti. It reminds people that his paintings spread from here to everywhere. They were admirable publicly and privately. They were masterfully realized with fine ingenuity from his brush.
Tintoretto’s nickname came from his father’s trade. His father was a fabric dyer. In Italian, a dyer is called “tintore.” So, Jacopo became “Tintoretto,” the little dyer. The house itself is a beautiful example of fifteenth-century Gothic style. It retains its charm. Not far from the door is a marble statue. It depicts Hercules with his club. Tintoretto himself placed it there.
The first floor features a three-light window. Windows are framed by a cordon frame. To the left of the facade stands a statue of an Arab. It enriches the Campo dei Mori. It stands with four similar figures. In 1574, Tintoretto bought this house. He had been a tenant here for some years. At the time, the area mainly housed warehouses and craftsmen.
Tintoretto married Faustina Episcopi in 1550. She was the daughter of Marco Episcopi. Three of their children became painters. They were Marco, Domenico and Marietta. Marietta was his favourite. She combined musical talent with her painting skills. You can find Marietta’s features in several of Tintoretto’s works.
Tintoretto loved music. He gave concerts at his home. His daughter Marietta and Joseph Zarlino attended. According to Vasari, Tintoretto could play several instruments. Paul Veronese depicts Tintoretto playing the violin in the painting Wedding at Cana.
Tintoretto aimed to combine Michelangelo’s drawing with Titian’s coloring. He copied Titian’s works constantly. He obtained plaster casts of Michelangelo’s statues. He studied them day and night. He drew his models by torchlight to create strong shadows. He made models in wax and clay. He placed them in small houses. He varied the light to observe different effects.
Tintoretto often gave his sketches to friends. He invited those with interesting faces to pose for free portraits. This generosity brought him publicity. People began to talk about the man nicknamed Il Tintoretto. He mastered Titian’s style. Living and painting were one for Tintoretto.
In his youth, he helped painters decorate furniture. He painted frescoes on newly built walls. He did it without pay. It was a way to practice large-scale painting. He worked with Schiavone. Schiavone taught him a great deal about colour.
Even in his works illustrating sacred subjects, you can find faces of the people of his homeland. His figures seem to be constantly moving. Italians recognize him as a master in animating figures. Some speak of picturesque fury.
Tintoretto painted The Miracle of St. Mark Delivering the Slave in 1548. The painting illustrates a fragment of the legend of St. Mark. The painting shows the naked slave at the mercy of his tormentors. St. Mark charges headfirst to save the slave.
Venetian painters painted portraits of aristocrats. Tintoretto painted the portrait of Veronica Franco. She was a courtesan and poet. One day Tintoretto was painting a gentleman. The gentleman told him to render the lace and jewels well. Tintoretto lost patience. He told him to get painted at Bassano’s. Bassano was known as an excellent animal painter.
Tintoretto was often criticized for his speed. He drew directly with a brush. He was gifted with a character too whole-hearted to bend to anyone’s demands. He was more concerned with finding new commissions. He did it for the sole purpose of practicing his art.
As you stand before Tintoretto’s house, imagine the artist within. Imagine his passion, his fury and his genius. It all sprang from this very place.