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Had the pleasure of visiting Venice. Found it easily exceeded all my expectations. St. Mark's square, the Doge's palace, Rialto bridge and the Grand Canal...magnificent. The city on the water had grown organically and spread out like a giant labyrinth. Having the luxury of time, I would just let myself get lost and soak up the atmosphere.
The Venice Biennale was going on at the time, so I would often end up at the exhibits Originating in 1895, this international art and film festival showcases innovative modern art. Avant-garde, Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, Modern Contemporary. 30 nations have permanent exhibits in the Giardini park. Countries, without a Pavilion exhibit in venues across the city. Incredible concentration, when you think that the entire city only encompasses about 8 square miles.
A visual buffet, with something to suit every taste. Some whimsical, some intellectual, some just plain baffling. One consistent exhibit theme, was a series of televisions, playing simultaneously, at full volume, in different languages. If the idea was to move the crowds along, it worked brilliantly.
Another exhibit had a box made out of chain link fence, bit of a maze inside a maze-like city. One located in a former domed church, invited you to lay down on cushions and watch a film projected on the ceiling. An immense variety of artistic expression. For the most part, clever and thought provoking.
The art that generated a visceral reaction for me, was found in the more traditional setting of Gallerie della Accademia. I realize that this type of art is not fashionable today. Maybe I'm bucking the trend. But trends come and go, for example Michelangelo once quipped "Oil painting is for amateurs." How long the latest popular fad endures, no one can predict. It worked out well for me, because I ended up having the gallery to myself.
Before my visit, I had never appreciated the scope and genius of the Venetian renaissance masters, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti) and Veronese (Paolo Calliari)*, always overshadowed by the Florentine big three, Michaelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael.
In the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, there is an x-ray of one of Tinteretto's paintings showing his minimal underpainting. Which when compared to the finished piece, demonstrates his artistic confidence and ability to paint on the fly. Famous for his productivity and speed he was nicknamed "Il Furiouso".
Whatever your art preference, modern or traditional Venice delivers. Plus, there is always the canals, gondoliers, and the incredible food. I highly recommend the seppie col nero (cuttlefish ink pasta).
* The critic Theophile Gautier wrote in 1860, that Veronese was the greatest colorist who ever lived, greater than Titian, Rubens, or Rembrandt because he established the harmony of natural tones in place of the modeling in dark and light that remained the method of academic chiaroscuro. Delacroix wrote that Veronese made light without violent contrasts, "which we are always told is impossible, and maintained the strength of hue in shadow.
"I think I am beginning to learn something about painting."
Master artist Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian, quoted in his 70's
