Show Notes: s2e36 The Venetians, a preamble
Step into the sun-drenched world of 18th-century Venice as we explore the "theatrical splendor" that defined an era. In this episode, Ann and resident expert Tru Ludwig dive into the vibrant Venetian art scene, where the city itself served as both a stage and a muse. We set the scene by discussing the transition from the heavy Baroque style to the airy, spontaneous Rococo and the rise of the "Grand Tour." Discover why 18th-century Venice wasn't just a destination, but a living, breathing entity where reality and imagination blurred through the medium of etching, catering to a new generation of connoisseurs seeking the direct, autographic hand of the artist.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). The Last Supper, c. 1495–98. Tempera on gesso, pitch, and mastic. 460 x 880 cm. Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.
Michelangelo (Italian, 1475–1564). Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508–12. Fresco. 133 x 46 feet. Sistine Chapel, The Vatican.
Raphael (Italian, 1483–1520). School of Athens, 1509–11. Stanza della Segnatura, Apostolic Palace, Vatican.
Aerial view of Venice.
Giovanni Bellini (Venetian, c. 1430–1516). San Zaccaria Altarpiece (Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints), 1505. Oil on panel. 500 x 235 cm. San Zaccaria, Venice.
Piero della Francesca (Italian, c. 1415–1492). Brera Madonna, 1472. Tempera on Panel. 248 x 150 cm. Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan.
Antonello da Messina (Italian, c. 1425/30–1479). Saint Sebastian, c. 1477–79. Oil on canvas mounted on board. 171 x 85 cm. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden.
Giovanni Bellini (Venetian, c. 1430/35–1516) and Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). The Feast of the Gods, 1514/29. Oil on canvas. 170.2 x 188 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Giorgione (Venetian, 1477/78–1510). The Tempest, 1506–08. Oil on canvas. 83 x 73 cm. Galerie dell’Accademia, Venice.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576) (formerly attributed to Giorgione). The Pastoral Concert, 1509–10. Oil on canvas. 105 x 136.5 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Assumption of Mary, 1516–18. Oil on panel. 690 x 360 cm. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). The Virgin of the Rocks (Paris version), 1483–86. Oil on panel. 199 x 122 cm. Louvre, Paris.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Pesaro Madonna, 1519–26. Oil on canvas. 4.88 x 2.60 m. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Bacchus and Ariadne, 1520–23. Oil on canvas. 176.5 x 191 cm. National Gallery, London.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576) (or Giorgione). Sleeping Venus, c. 1510. Oil on canvas. 108.5 x 175 cm. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Venus of Urbino, 1534. Oil on canvas. 119 x 165 cm. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Venus with an Organist and a Dog, c. 1550. 138 x 222.4 cm. Oil on canvas. Prado, Madrid.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Venus with an Organist and Cupid, c. 1555. Oil on canvas. 150.2 x 218.2 cm. Prado, Madrid.
Titian (Venetian, 1488/90–1576). Venus with Cupid and a Lute Player, c. 1555–65. Oil on canvas. 150.5 x 196.8 cm. Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519). The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist, 1506–08. Charcoal with white chalk on paper mounted on canvas. 141.5 x 104.5 cm. National Gallery, London.
Tintoretto (Venetian, 1518–1594). Last Supper, 1592–94. Oil on canvas. 365 x 568 cm. Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.
Paolo Veronese (Venetian, 1528–1588). The Feast in the House of Levi, 1573. Oil on canvas. 555 x 130.9 cm. Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice.
Paolo Veronese (Venetian, 1528–1588). The Triumph of Venice, 1585. Oil on canvas. Sala del Maggior Consiglio, Doge’s Palace, Venice.
Curator / Podcaster / Fair Organizer
Ann Shafer is an independent curator, art historian, and a leading expert on the legacy of Stanley William Hayter and Atelier 17. As the creator and host of the Platemark podcast, she bridges the gap between technical print scholarship and the global community of artists and collectors.
Ann previously served as Associate Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Baltimore Museum of Art and has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Gallery of Art. She holds a BA from The College of Wooster and an MA from Williams College. Today, she channels her three decades of expertise into organizing the Brooklyn Fine Art Print Fair, co-editing a major centennial festschrift on Atelier 17, and leading curated art history tours across Europe. (Photo credit: Becky Redett)
Show Notes: s3e105 with Amelia Hugill-Fontanel
