Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: an exploration of rilvarly

Energized by the lecture I attended at Harvard Kennedy School last week, I visited the MFA yesterday with my husband and in-laws to view the new exhibit, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice. The exhibit was really fantastic! Typically I am not that enthusiastic about paintings depicting religious events, mythological creatures and portraits of royalty (I'm more partial to the impressionist paintings of Renoir, Degas and Monet; Renoir's Dance at Bougival is one of my absolute favorites) but found the organization of the exhibit, which compared paintings of similar subject matter interpreted by each artist side by side, to be very compelling and engaging.

What caught my attention, more than discovering all the subtle differences between the styles of each of the artists, Titian's grand and expansive perspective, Tintoretto's dark viewpoint that placed such a great emphasis on capturing the dramatic movement of his subjects and Veronese's sunny outlook communicated through a frequent use of pastels as his color palate, was the backdrop which set each of these masterpieces. The three painters were artistic rivals, all living and working in Venice at the same time and were as strongly influenced by one another's works as they were in competition with them. Titian was the oldest, and well established when Tintoretto and Veronese rose to fame. Although it is not entirely confirmed, it has been said that Tintoretto began his career as a pupil of Titian, but was expelled when Titian became concerned that Tintoretto's talent might match or even surpass his own. A decade later Veronese became known in the Venetian art world, but unlike Tintoretto became Titian's protege. The three competed for commissions and prestige throughout the middle 1500's until Tintoretto was the last man standing, and literally the last of the three living after Veronese died suddenly of pneumonia in 1588. The final image of the exhibit is a self-portrait of Tintoretto in his 70's and his expression is one that suggests a quiet longing for the more tumultuous days behind him.

Leaving the museum I kept thinking about the role of rivalry in art and society. Sure there are definitely some negative connotations, but rivalries can also produce better end results (in this case more powerful and more innovative imagery) through the force of competition. Would any of these masters have achieved the same great heights without the knowledge that the other two artists were on their heels? Plus, who are we kidding who doesn't love the absolute drama of human rivalry on display? Look at the glut of competition reality TV shows everything from who is the best cook and clothing designer to which star-struck woman can win the love of aging rap and rock stars. Rivalries can be seen across every field from sports to science and beyond, and thank goodness for that. Life would be just so boring without them.