All art located in Venice, Italy
videos + essays
Jacopo Tintoretto, The Removal of the Body of Saint Mark
Tintoretto's bold painting of Saint Mark establishes the saint's presence in Venice as predestined.
Titian, Assumption of the Virgin
Following the outstretched arms of the apostles, we look up to Mary and arrive at a circle of light.
Leonardo da Vinci, “Vitruvian Man”
The “Vitruvian Man” presupposes, with enough effort, idealism can be achieved in human reality.
Rock crystal ewer, San Marco
This rock crystal ewer is a unique testament to the height of rock crystal production in Fatimid Cairo.
Icon of the Archangel Michael
An exceptional example of Byzantine craftsmanship, this shimmering icon was taken from Constantinople to Venice during the Crusades
Mobility and reuse: the Romanos chalices and the chalice with hares
Three chalices show the important roles that materiality, ornament, and craftsmanship could play in an object’s cross-cultural mobility, reuse, and preservation through the centuries.
Vittore Carpaccio, Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Rialto Bridge
A painting shows life on the Grand Canal of Venice, including Black gondoliers
Byzantine Art and the Fourth Crusade
Crusaders sacked Constantinople and brought looted treasures back to Venice before the Byzantines recaptured their capital city.
The Renaissance Synagogues of Venice
The original Ghetto, on a small Venetian island, hides Renaissance era synagogues of startling beauty.
Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello
Fresco, mosaic, and marble threatened by a rising sea and the salt it leaves behind.
Venice’s San Marco, a mosaic of spiritual treasure
Nearly everything in medieval and Renaissance Venice was stolen or imported—and the Venetians advertised that on the facade of the Cathedral.
