Vittore Carpaccio ( , , ; – ) was an Italian painter of the Venetian school who studied under Gentile Bellini. Carpaccio was largely influenced by the style of the early Italian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina (), as well as Early Netherlandish painting. Although often compared to his mentor Gentile Bellini, Vittore Carpaccio's command of perspective, precise attention to architectural detail, themes of death, and use of bold color differentiated him from other Italian Renaissance artists. Many of his works display the religious themes and cross-cultural elements of art at the time; his portrayal of Saint Augustine in His Study from 1502, reflects the popularity of collecting "exotic" and highly desired objects from different cultures.
Carpaccio's works ranged from single pieces painted on canvas to altarpieces and large pictorial cycles. Several of the altarpieces, including St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned (1507), Presentation of Christ in the Temple (1510), and Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand (1515), were commissioned by churches in Venice, while the pieces following the year 1510 were primarily commissioned by individual patrons in Venice.
Early life and works
Carpaccio was born in Venice (between 1460 and 1465), the son of Pietro Scarpaza, a Venetian furrier in the parish of Arcangelo Raffaele. Although Carpaccio's precise date of birth remains unknown, various documents have offered clues in order to narrow it down to a particular span of years. In a will from 1472, his uncle Fra Ilario listed him as an inheritor. Carpaccio signed two early works with the Venetian form of his last name: first as VETOR[E] SCHARPAÇO in his Virgin and Child () at the Museo Correr (Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia) and then as VETOR SCARPAZO on the parapet in his Salvator Mundi with Four Saints () owned by the Fondazione Luciano Sorlini in Carzago di Calvagese (in Brescia). It was not until a 1648 publication that one of his biographers, Carlo Ridolifu, referred to the artist as "Carpaccio" the name for which he is known today.
Principal works (1490–1520s)
Carpaccio's principal works were executed between 1490 and 1519, placing him among the early masters of Venetian painting in the Renaissance.
By 1490, Carpaccio painted The Legend of Saint Ursula, a series of paintings for the Scuola di Sant'Orsola, one of the religious confraternities in Venice (see below "Narrative Cycles" for more on this series). This series elevated his prominence in early Renaissance Venice, allowing him to distinguish himself as a capable, creative painter skilled in artistic narration and lighting.
Around 1501–1507, he worked with Giovanni Bellini, painting in the Sala del Gran Consiglio in the Doge's Palace. The legend of St. George was enormously popular during the Renaissance, and the confrontation between the knight and the dragon was painted later by numerous artists, such as Albrecht Altdorfer's St. George and the Dragon (1510).
From 1507 to 1508, Carpaccio executed the work, St. Tryphonius Exorcizing the Demon. In the background sit leafless trees, crumbling buildings, and a dry, desert ground—all alluding to the theme of death. However, he experienced less success upon the rise of younger artists, such as Titian, Giorgione, and Lorenzo Lotto, whose innovative styles challenged his conservative values.
Narrative cycles and Altarpieces
thumb|229x229px|[[Legend of Saint Ursula|Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of St. Ursula 1490-94]]
thumb|229x229px|[[Legend of Saint Ursula|Dream of St. Ursula 1490-94]]
The Legend of Saint Ursula Cycle
In 1490, Carpaccio began The Legend of Saint Ursula, a series of paintings executed for the Scuola di Sant'Orsola depicting the life of the confraternity's patron saint. This cycle has led scholars to describe him as a "master visual storyteller," since the large-scale paintings were installed in large open spaces, like a reception or audience hall, allowing spectators to take in the scenes, similar to animation storyboards. The legend revolves around St. Ursula and her companions in Cologne where tradition relates that in the year 385, a legion of eleven thousand virgins professing their faith to Christ, with Ursula at their head and twenty thousand Christians by their side, would be massacred by the Germans upon their arrival in Cologne after coming from the island of Britain. Carpaccio was greatly inspired by the legend, especially its themes of massacre and chronology that brought the story to life. dates to 1504–1508 and was largely executed by Carpaccio's assistants. The images are now divided among the Accademia Carrara of Bergamo, the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, and the Ca' d'Oro in Venice.
Altarpieces
In 1491, Carpaccio completed the Glory of St. Ursula altarpiece, a large scale detachable wall-painting painted for the hall of one of the Venetian scuole, which were charitable and social confraternities. Three years later he took part in the decoration of the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, painting the Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto (1496). Other altarpieces that Carpaccio created, like St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned (1507), Presentation of Christ in the Temple (1510), and Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand (1515), were commissioned by Venice churches. The church-patron of St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned (1507) remains unknown; however, Presentation of Christ in the Temple (1510) was commissioned by the church of San Giobbe, and Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand (1515) by the church of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Artistic decline and death (1520s)
Towards the end of his life, the quality of his art began to decline, specifically following his Schiavoni pieces.
Carpaccio's late works were mostly done in the Venetian mainland territories, and in collaboration with his sons Benedetto and Piero. One of his pupils was Marco Marziale.
thumb|278x278px|The Carpaccio House, believed to be the residence of Carpaccio and his sons, in the Istrian town of Capo d'Istria, also known as Capodistria (now [[Koper), Slovenia]]
He spent his final years in Capo d'Istria, where he died between 1525 and 1526.
Style
Carpaccio was one of the first artists to include a cartellino into his paintings; he inserted it into select pieces in a way that made it appear as if the artist had left it there without thought.
In comparison to his mentor Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio's works are overall less defined. For instance, collections of milk-glass tumblers, especially those depicting brides to celebrate engagements, drew heavily from his painting Two Venetian Ladies (). This decision distinguished his artistic reputation from other painters in northern Italy.
The first ever retrospective of his art outside of Italy, Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice was exhibited at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art, November 20, 2022 – February 12, 2023, with an accompanying exhibition catalog, Vittore Carpaccio: Paintings and Drawings. A comprehensive publication with the same title as the exhibition was simultaneously released. The exhibition brought together forty-five paintings and thirty drawings made by Carpaccio, including the NGA's Virgin Reading (), which had recently undergone conservation work. It is planned for the exhibition to travel to the Palazzo Ducale, Venice, to be on view from March 18 to June 18, 2023.
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