Tintoretto and St. Mark, a matter of love and business

“A servant of some provincial nobleman, bound by a vow, wishing to visit the body of St. Mark but, unable to obtain permission, finally put the fear of his heavenly master above that of his carnal master, and, greeting the latter, devoutly went off to visit the saint. Badly tolerating this, the master ordered his […]

THE PORTRAIT OF FREEDOM

One of the most memorable portraits in art history, that of Juan de Pareja painted by Velazquez, is an image of a slave about to be freed. De Pareja was indeed born in slavery and in this condition was inherited by Velazquez, who from the 1630s made him his trusted personal assistant. In 1650, during […]