On this Date in History, September 29: Birth of Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Boucher — arthistoryblogger.blogspot.com

What happened on this date in history, September 29? It is the birthday of three well-known painters: Venetian Renaissance painter Tintoretto in 1518, the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio in 1571 and French Rococo artist François Boucher in 1703. The Last Supper, Tintoretto, San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, 1592-94 Jacopo Robusti was born in Venice (9/29/1518-5/31/1594) and was given the nickname of Tintoretto as his father worked as a dyer.  A dyer was called a Tintore in Italian, and “tintoretto” was the diminutive, meaning the little dyer or son of the dyer and the nickname has endured.Tintoretto was known for his dynamic style, broad and painterly brushwork and bold highlights painted on a dark ground.  Rather than using the early perfectly proportioned and symmetrical compositions of the High Renaissance, he used energetic and dramatic compositions such as in his Last Supper seen above.When painting Tintoretto started with a dark background and use bold colors and strong highlights.  His brushwork and use of perspective added much depth and drama to his artwork.  He was a very prolific artist, creating an enormous oeuvre of work during his life.   The Calling of Saint Matthew,Caravaggio  (1599-1600) Contarelli Chapel, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome Caravaggio (9/29/1571- 7/18/1610) was born in Milan as Michelangelo Merisi and grew up in the town of Caravaggio in Northern Italy, it was not uncommon for artists to get nicknamed based on their place of origin if they later moved and the name "Caravaggio" stayed with him after he moved to Rome and then lived in Naples, Sicily and Malta.When researching artist's birthdays it isn't uncommon to find conflicting dates, at least half the sources I checked listed Caravaggio as being born on September 28th and the other half on the 29th.  I decided to go with the date given by author Andrew Graham Dixon who wrote the book, Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane (Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2011).  Graham Dixon is known for his extensive research and in his book the author explains that the painter was named "Michelangelo" as he was born on the 29th which is the Catholic feast day for Saint Michael the Archangel. Caravaggio was an Italian painter of the Baroque period who lived a tumultuous life.  Around 1600 Caravaggio developed his famous style of extreme chiaroscuro (painting form with lights and darks) known as "tenebrism" which was a turning point in art.  Many other artists in the 17th century followed his style of dark backgrounds with dramatic highlights becoming known as the “Caravagisti” after their imitation of his style. The Conversion of Saint Paul, Caravaggio  (1600-01) Chigi Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome François Boucher (9/29/1703 – 5/30/1770) was born in Paris and had a career as a successful Rococo artist.Boucher was trained at the French Royal Academy and during his time there won the Prix de Rome which allowed him to also study in Italy. Boucher became one of the royal painters for the French King Louis XV (later becoming the King's Premier painter).  He is well known for his portraits of the King's mistress, Madame de Pompadour.  De Pompadour was also his patron and the painting below was created for her dressing room in her château.The Rococo was known for its opulent colors, lavish details, use of vibrant pastels, gold and silver and the work of Boucher really embodied the era.  In addition to painting he designed theater sets, made etchings and taught at the Academy.  He died in Paris at age 66.The Toilet of Venus, François Boucher,1751Metropolitan Museum of Art

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