Marietta Robusti, the daughter of Tintoretto was a Renaissance painter. Thus, naturally she received her training in her father's workshop. Born in a family of painters, she became a renowned portrait painter and was often referred to as La Tintoretta. As was unfortunately uncommon for the women artists of that time, she never got large scale commissions typical to male artists. We can see from her comparatively few credited artworks that her works had highly realistic linear perspective. She worked mainly in Venice and created lifelike portraits.
One of the paintings acclaimed to Robusti is. "The portrait of Ottavio Strada". Although, this painting was previously thought to be done by her father. Strada was reportedly a scholar, dealer and art collector who served the Roman emperor. The dealer is depicted in rich and dark clothing indicating his wealth. Whereas the valuable items he is holding, sheds light on his wisdom. He has a wonderstruck yet greedy expression on his face. A female allegorical figure is seen showering gold and silver coins from a cornucopia which he readily accepts. A life size statue of goddess Venus or perhaps a depiction of the painter herself has turned away in distaste. The picture is a harsh remark on the character of the young dealer Ottavio Strada. This painting is an excellent example of the Renaissance style which combines realism and elegance. The use of light and shadow is immaculate.
This portrait is bursting with symbolism. It is an illustration of materialism, greed, and ambition. The inclusion of the Venus statue, more specifically its pose (turning away) may symbolise art rejecting corruption, commerce, and intellectual shallowness. Robusti has created a sophistical and psychological portrait which comments of morals and allegorical storytelling.
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By: Nixie Parkes
This striking painting by Jacopo Tintoretto captures a seventeen-year-old boy named Ottavio Strada in a pretty unusual, almost dreamlike setup. Instead of just sitting there for a normal portrait, the young man is right in the middle of a symbolic story about wealth and destiny.
Standing tall in the center, Ottavio wears a very dark, elegant jacket with delicate white ruffles peeking out at his neck and wrists. He has this sort of thoughtful, maybe even slightly distracted look on his face, turning his gaze away from a golden statue of a naked woman Venus down in the left corner. It is like he is choosing to look past earthly desires or maybe just focusing on what is coming next. And what is coming next is pretty wild. Floating down from the upper right, this beautiful, glowing woman, who represents Fortune, is handing him a massive horn of plenty. It is overflowing with old gold and silver coins that seem to spill right toward his open hand.
The whole scene has a really interesting flow to it. Your eyes kinda move from the smooth, warm skin of the statue, up through Ottavio’s dark silhouette, and then follow the curve of the cornucopia up to Fortune’s bright figure. Tintoretto used deep shadows to make the characters pop, but if you look past Ottavio’s shoulder, there is a sudden opening to the outside. In the background, under a hazy sky, you can see the crumbling remains of some old Roman ruins. All those coins and the old statue actually hint at his real life, since his dad was a famous collector who taught him all about ancient history. There is also some Latin text painted in the top left corner, listing his name and bragging a bit about his achievements. It is a beautiful mix of a real person and a fantasy story, showing a kid right on the edge of a very rich future.
