Saint Mark's Body Brought to Venice by Tintoretto (Interpretation and Analysis)

Saint Mark's Body Brought to Venice
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Yesterday, I discussed the Mannerist artist Lavinia Fontana, and, while we’re on the topic, I thought I would talk about one of the great painters of the Mannerist age, Tintoretto.

Like all Mannerist painters, Tintoretto produced strange and imaginative paintings that defied previously established artistic traditions. While Mannerism in general is characterized by unusual use of color and proportion along with unconventional compositional choices. However, Tintoretto in particular was known for his bold brushstrokes and expressive style.

Saint Mark's Body Brought to Venice is an excellent example of his distinctive style. Tintoretto himself was a Venetian and spent much of his life in the city; he painted a series of four paintings related to Saint Mark in homage to his city’s patron saint. The city of Venice has long had a deep, spiritual and symbolic relationship with Saint Mark, and the city’s coat of arms even features a winged lion, the biblical symbol of Saint Mark.

The painting— which was commissioned for one of Venice’s most famous buildings, the Scuola Grande di San Marco—depicts Saint Mark’s body being brought to Venice. According to local history, a group of Venetian merchants brought the saint’s relics to the city during the ninth century. While, in reality, this was probably a fairly sedate affair, Tintoretto transforms the translation of Saint Mark to a quasi-apocalyptic scene of chaos. Venetians lunge for doorways or throw themselves on the paving stones as they are overcome with holy awe. To the right, a group of men carry the body of Saint Mark through the streets, not the skeleton it would be in reality, but a fresh and intact corpse. The men seem to struggle to support the body, which is unnaturally long. The whole scene seeks quite literally to put the fear of God into viewers. In the background, the sky is a strange shade of orange, giving the painting a strange, almost supernatural aura. This is exaggerated by the extreme white of the buildings in the background.

Tintoretto adds an extra degree of visual drama through the exaggerated depth of the scene. Looking at the painting, the viewer seems to be gazing down a long tunnel of architectural space, adding an exaggerated sense of space and grandeur.

The light, color, and general sense of drama are all hallmarks of the Mannerist style. These artistic motifs would eventually evolve into the more conventional (but no less striking) baroque style. All the same, Saint Mark's Body Brought to Venice is a haunting and awe-inspiring painting that transcends the centuries.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.