Includes 16-page booklet examining many of the most famous works

Tintoretto and the Golden Age of Venice

“The design of Michelangelo and the color of Titian” is, according to his biographer Carlo Ridolfi, what the young Tintoretto had written on the wall of his studio. True or not, this is an apt description of his painting; painting that engages in the Venetian tradition of colour and the strong design of the Tuscan style.

A tireless and uncompromising artist, he never left Venice. Many buildings and churches across the lagoon shine with the light of his paintings, and his works can now be seen in the major museums of the world.

During Tintoretto’s life in the 16th century, the Venetian Republic reached the peak of glory and power, but the signs of decline were already emerging. These signs of unease are clearly seen in the all-encompassing paintings by Tintoretto - the light of his religious paintings, in the time of the Counterreformation, and his vibrant portraits, captured for the last time the golden age of Venetian power.

In this programme we explore Venice and study the life, career and artistic style of Tintoretto. A man with a huge appetite for influence, he sought inspiration from his short-lived teacher Titian and the great Renaissance figures, as well as from Venice itself, its people and its changing fortunes.

Superb footage shows us many of his greatest works, with the breathtaking detail shown in close-up, as we reassess Tintoretto’s place among the Great Masters.

"Brilliant dvds of the classic art & artists each with individual history of their career & works and detailed examples of their paintings & sculptures. Highly recommended." (Grahame, UK,  Jan 2017)