| The Washing of the Feet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Tintoretto |
| Year | 1548-1549 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 210 cm× 533 cm(83 in× 210 in) |
| Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
The Washing of the Feet or El Lavatorio is a work by the Venetian artist Tintoretto which he produced between 1548 and 1549 and is considered one of his finest works. It is currently on display in the Museo del Prado.
The work was commissioned in 1547 from Tintoretto for the Scuola del Santísimo Sacramento in the church of San Marcuola in Venice, together with a Last Supper which is still in the church and which he painted between 1548 and 1549. After remaining there for 70 years, it was acquired by Ferdinando Gonzaga,VI Duke of Mantua, at the end of the first decade or at the beginning of the second decade of the 17th century, where the Corridoio del Bertani of the Ducal Palace of Mantua was placed.. [1] In 1627 it was bought by Charles I of England, a great collector of art. After the English Revolution and the execution of the monarch, the parliamentarians sold his works to pay off the monarch's debts. Many of the best works were left in the hands of the Spanish ambassador Don Alonso de Cardenas, who gave them to the Prime Minister Don Luis Méndez de Haro, who presented them to Philip IV among them: The Washing of the Feet. [2]
The painting depicts a scene from the Gospel of John in which it is narrated that at the Last Supper Jesus rose from the table, took off his cloak and tied a towel around his waist and began to wash his disciples' feet. Tintoretto depicts the moment when Simon Peter tries to refuse, but after being persuaded he agrees to wash his feet and even his head and hands. A miracle of Saint Mark is also depicted in one corner, recounted by Jacopo da Varazze in his book Golden Legend.
Most of the painting depicts the scene of the Last Supper. In the centre is a dog lying down, perhaps because the space would have been too large without it or representing the faithfulness of Jesus' disciples. [3]
The artist had painted the composition of the painting with the space of the church of San Marcuola in mind, which is why, seen from the front, the figures may appear to be randomly distributed, but the impression changes when seen from the right, as the dead spaces disappear and the harmony of the figures is achieved. [1]
Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio ,, Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian, was an Italian (Venetian) Renaissance painter of Lombard origin, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno. During his lifetime he was often called da Cadore, 'from Cadore', taken from his native region.
The Prado Museum, officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It is widely considered to house one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on the former Spanish royal collection, and the single best collection of Spanish art. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, it also contains important collections of other types of works. The Prado Museum is one of the most visited sites in the world and is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world. The numerous works by Francisco Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Hieronymus Bosch, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez, are some of the highlights of the collection. Velázquez and his keen eye and sensibility were also responsible for bringing much of the museum's fine collection of Italian masters to Spain, now one of the largest outside of Italy.
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Maundy, or Washing of the Saints' Feet, Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium or Pedilavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. The word mandatum is the first word of the Latin Biblical quotation sung at the ceremony of the washing of the feet: "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos", from the text of John 13:34 in the Vulgate. The ceremony commemorates the commandment of Christ that his disciples should emulate his loving humility in the washing of the feet. The medieval Latin term mandatum, came to apply to the rite of foot-washing on the Thursday preceding Easter Sunday, known in English as "Maundy Thursday" since at least 1530.
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Leandro Bassano, also called Leandro dal Ponte, was an Italian artist from Bassano del Grappa who was awarded a knighthood by the Doge of Venice. He was the younger brother of artist Francesco Bassano the Younger and third son of artist Jacopo Bassano. Their father took his surname from their town of Bassano del Grappa, and trained his sons as painters.
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Christ Crucified is a 1632 painting by Diego Velázquez depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus. The work, painted in oil on canvas, measures 249 × 170 cm and is owned by the Museo del Prado.
The Last Supper is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Jacopo Tintoretto. An oil painting on canvas executed in 1592–1594, it is housed in the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy.
Andrea del Sarto was an Italian painter from Florence, whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. He was known as an outstanding fresco decorator, painter of altar-pieces, portraitist, draughtsman, and colorist. Although highly regarded during his lifetime as an artist senza errori, his renown was eclipsed after his death by that of his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
Christ Washing the Disciples' Feet was a favourite theme of Tintoretto, and there are at least six known works by him on the subject. The scene comes from a passage in John 13 where before the Last Supper Christ washes the feet of his disciples. This passage called for a complex image with many characters in a variety of poses and motions, and the diversity and challenge attracted Tintoretto. The paintings were commissioned for various churches of Venice, though since then four of the six have left Italy.
Venetian painting was a major force in Italian Renaissance painting and beyond. Beginning with the work of Giovanni Bellini and his brother Gentile Bellini and their workshops, the major artists of the Venetian school included Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto (1518–1594), Paolo Veronese (1528–1588) and Jacopo Bassano (1510–1592) and his sons. Considered to give primacy to colour over line, the tradition of the Venetian school contrasted with the Mannerism prevalent in the rest of Italy. The Venetian style exerted great influence upon the subsequent development of Western painting.
The Chiesa di San Sebastiano is a 16th-century Roman Catholic church located in the Dorsoduro sestiere of the Italian city of Venice. The church houses a cycle of paintings by the artist Paolo Veronese, as well as paintings by Tintoretto and Titian. The church is a member of the Chorus Association of Venetian churches. It stands on the Campo di San Sebastiano by the Rio di San Basilio, close to the Giudecca Canal. It is one of the five votive churches in Venice, each one built after the passing of a plague through the city. Following construction, the church was dedicated to a saint associated with the disease; in this case St. Sebastian.
The Last Supper of Jesus and the Twelve Apostles has been a popular subject in Christian art, often as part of a cycle showing the Life of Christ. Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art date back to early Christianity and can be seen in the Catacombs of Rome.
The Entombment is a 1559 oil-on-canvas painting by the Venetian painter Titian, commissioned by Philip II of Spain. It depicts the burial of Jesus in a stone sarcophagus, which is decorated with depictions of Cain and Abel and the binding of Isaac. The painting measures 137 cm × 175 cm and is now in the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Titian made several other paintings depicting the same subject, including a similar version of 1572 given as a gift to Antonio Pérez and now also in the Prado, and an earlier version of c.1520 made for the Duke of Mantua and now in the Louvre.
The church of San Marcuola is a religious building facing the Grand Canal and located in the sestiere of Cannaregio in Venice, Italy. It is dedicated to the saints Hermagoras and Fortunatus. Palazzo Memmo Martinengo Mandelli is a neighboring building.
Susanna and the Elders is a painting by the Venetian painter Tintoretto. Robusti, also known as Tintoretto or Il Furioso, for the energy and "fury" with which he painted, depicted both sacred and profane subjects in a period sometimes known as the Venetian “golden century”.
Ixion is a 1632 oil painting, signed and dated by Jusepe de Ribera. It shows a scene from Classical mythology, of Ixion being tortured as the eternal punishment meted out by Zeus. It is one of a series of four paintings by Ribera of the four "Furies" or "Condemned" from Greek mythology. It is held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, along with Ribera's painting of Tityos; the other two, of Sisyphus and Tantalus, are lost.
Wedding at Cana also known as Wedding Feast at Cana and Le Nozze di Cana is an oil painting by Michael Damaskinos. He was active during the second half of the 16th century in Heraklion, Sicily, Venice, and different parts of Italy. Over 100 works are attributed to the artist. Most of his work resembled the Greek mannerisms prevalent at the time also known as maniera greca. He was clearly influenced by Venetian painting. His version of the Wedding at Cana was a copy of Tintoretto's massive painting of the Wedding Feast at Cana. The monumental canvas was 4.4 m x 5.9 m or 14.4 ft x 19.3 ft. The painting was originally in the dining hall (refectory) of the convent of the Crociferi in Venice. Refectories typically featured large paintings of biblical banquet scenes. The monks preferred biblical banquet scenes because they desired the impression of dining with Christ. Damaskinos probably saw the painting at the convent or a copy of the masterpiece in Venice. The Damaskinos version is much smaller than the original. The painting is very important because it is one of the few instances where Damaskinos broke from the traditional maniera greca prevalent in most of his works. In this instance, he strictly followed the lines of Venetian painting exhibiting his superior craftsmanship as a painter capable of changing his style. El Greco was another painter who also painted in both styles. The Damaskinos version is currently at the Museo Correr in Venice, Italy.
-"Very interesting magazine special 200 years of the Prado Museum", pág.13.
- Cirlot, L. (dir.), Museo del Prado II, Col. «Museos del Mundo», Volume 7, Espasa, 2007. ISBN 978-84-674-3810-9, págs. 164-167.
-"A restored masterpiece. The Lavatorioa by Jacopo Tintoretto", Ref-ART3-149.
