Artists

Paolo Veronese was born and trained in Verona during the late Renaissance. By the age of fourteen, Veronese was apprenticing under Antonio Badile, working in the Mannerist style that defined the period. It was not long before Veronese and his talents outgrew Badile's workshop and Verona itself, and by 1553 the artist was in Venice earning commissions. Paolo Veronese specialized in large canvases with biblical and historical subjects. He became interested in the work of Andrea Mantegna, whose extreme use of foreshortening inspired the young artist. He began making very large paintings filled with animated figures. Renaissance period artists of the Venetian movement were known for their innovation in applying color, and Veronese is considered to be a leading colorist. The colors of his paintings were vivid and vibrant, while depicting a life-like quality. His ability to use color allowed him to incorporate his characters, dressed in intricate and detailed clothing, into the larger composition. He was involved in the 1553 decoration of the Doge's palace in Venice. His work there attracted the attention of Titian, the other great Venetian artist working at the time. In 1562 Veronese painted frescoes for a Palladian house in Venice. This work encapsulates his ability to portray pageantry within Renaissance compositions, a curious contrast to the classical architecture of Palladio. Veronese's innovative and crowded compositions led directly to the next generation of artists, including Peter Paul Rubens and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.