Patricians and patrons

Even if portraiture is generally considered a minor genre as compared with religious and mythological painting, it enjoyed a particular status in Venice. The prerogative of the ruling classes (patricians, the wealthy, merchants, the well-educated), it was a way of showcasing the ancientness of one’s lineage and the importance of one’s office (doge, procurator, admiral), as well as being a means of moral edification.

Of all Venetian artists, Titian was probably the most sought-after. Being painted by him was a mark of distinction which put you on a level with Pope Paul III, Emperor Charles V, King Francis I, Cardinal Ippolito de’ Medici, the dukes of Urbino and Mantua, or the doges.
In Venice, ancientness of family line was the precondition for the noble patriciate and the exercise of power. Portraits afforded a representation of the ancestral lineage and a reassertion of the right to a seat in the Grand Council.
Working life was of quite particular significance in Venetian society, and portraits would show their models in the execution of their duties. Moreover, it was important to depict glorious feats, military, diplomatic, or intellectual prowess not only as the fruit of individual genius but rather as appertaining to the excellence of the Republic of Venice. The large number of portraits displayed in public institutions also bolstered the notion of the changeover of political power—no single family had the monopoly on power, which was the preserve of the entire patriciate.

The main thing was that a portrait should be plausible rather than illusionary. It was not an image of reality but of how the subject wished to appear (morally great, cautious, able to control his passions, etc.), of the way he wanted people to see him.
Dress and attributes would reveal a man’s rank and office. Attire was even more important for women than men, given their lack of public activity. The Venetian authorities even had to bring in laws to regulate extravagant expenditure—costumes and finery were not to exceed a certain price fixed by the Republic, and luxury was to be tempered with self-restraint in appearance (laced-up corset, braided hair) and poise in gesture and demeanor that set female patricians apart from courtesans, who were not bound by such reserve.

The subjects were not always depicted within a specific setting. In Titian’s work in particular, the models stand out against a dark ground. Yet the setting—a window looking out on a landscape or an interior furnished with columns and seats—often tells us something about the figure’s public life. The window motif is generally absent from female portraits, in which the model stands out against an indeterminate ground or interior, thus reinforcing the idea that a woman’s social position lay within her home and family.

Titian, Doge Francesco VenierLearn more+ Titian , Doge Francesco Venier
Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
(Inv 1930.116)

Tintoretto, Sebastiano VenierLearn more+ Tintoretto , Sebastiano Venier
Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
(Inv 32)

Veronese, Agostino BarbarigoLearn more+ Veronese , Agostino Barbarigo
Cleveland, Museum of Art
(Inv 1928-16)

Titian, Doge Francesco Venier Tintoretto, Sebastiano Venier Veronese, Agostino Barbarigo
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Titian, Doge Francesco Venier

Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
(Inv 1930.116)

Titian purposefully rendered morphological details and facial expression with great precision. In creating the portrait of this doge, said to be physically frail, he emphasized the red blotches on the nose, the dark shadows under the eyes, and the hollow cheeks. The contrast between the frailty of the body and the vitality of the expression that reveals moral fortitude and wisdom magnifies his aptitude to govern. Despite his advanced years, Francesco Venier is a man on his guard, preoccupied with his office. His very gestures (one hand vigorously clenched upon his cloak and the other open and raised in the attitude of a Roman emperor) reinforce this figure's duality—his mental force and temperance.

© Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Titian, Doge Francesco Venier

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Tintoretto, Sebastiano Venier

Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
(Inv 32)

During the Battle of Lepanto, Venier commanded the Venetian galleys against the Turkish fleet and achieved victory alongside the other admirals of the Holy League. Tintoretto has depicted him brandishing his commander's baton, while the window on his left reveals a scene of the naval battle in which he distinguished himself.

© Erich Lessing, Vienna

Tintoretto, Sebastiano Venier

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Veronese, Agostino Barbarigo

Cleveland, Museum of Art
(Inv 1928-16)

This portrait is a prime example of a commemorative image designed to act as a model for future generations. It is the posthumous portrait of a Venetian admiral who was mortally wounded in the Battle of Lepanto. The man is posing before a window opening onto a blue sky that once featured a view of the battle (the picture has unfortunately been cut out) in a room adorned with a red drape and a marble column. He is holding an arrow in his left hand, as a reminder of his tragic end.

© The Cleveland Museum of Art

Veronese, Agostino Barbarigo

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