Christ at the Sea of Galilee
Jacopo Tintoretto
JACOPO TINTORETTO, c.1570s. OIL ON CANVAS.
Mannerism emerged in direct opposition to the natural perfection of the High Renaissance. Where da Vinci, Rafael and Michelangelo were depicting the harmonious beauty of the world with astute realism, the Mannerists were exaggerating the features they deemed most beautiful to create artificial scenes. Their figures are elongated and irregularly proportioned to produce unnatural elegance. The balance and symmetry of the renaissance gave way to compositional tension and asymmetry, creating dynamic and vivid scenes. Alongside El Greco, Tintoretto stands tall amongst the Mannerists; known as ‘il Furioso’ in his native Italy, he drew with abandon and speed, his brushwork bolder than any that had come before. While he mostly depicted scenes of Venice, his religious works are some of the masterpieces of the movement. Here, Jesus is rendered in few strokes, his body long and weightless as he looks out to the sea at his disciples in a boat below an ominous sky. The colours guide us from the dark sky to the luminescent Christ and the loose, unnatural landscape creates a powerful sense of drama.