Venetian Disegno

Venetian Disegno: New Frontiers circa 1420 to 1620 offers a fresh perspective onthe art of Venice and the Veneto. The volume brings together the contributionsof scholars and curators specialist on a wide variety of artists and art formsincluding drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and architecture.Venetian Disegno: New Frontiers circa 1420 to 1620 takes disegno as its central theme,that in its plurality of meaning allows for a consideration of the conceptual role ofdesign and the act of drawing. The relationship between disegno and RenaissanceVenetian art has historically been a problematic one, with emphasis instead beingplaced on the Venetian predilection for colore. This volume is reflective of an ongoingchallenge to this perspective and draws attention to the importance of Venetiandisegno and the study of drawings for understanding various art forms.The book commences with a critical study of what constitutes disegno in Venetianart. It does so through questioning the historiography of Venetian artistic scholarshipand the restrictive framework and preconceptions that have emerged before settingout the merits of a broader, more inclusive approach. Disegno is applied in itsmultifaceted nature to address the physical act of drawing, the tangible drawn objectand the role of design in artistic practice. The term ‘Venetian’ is taken to encompassboth Venice and its mainland territories not least because of the mobility of artistsacross and beyond the region.Contributions are divided into five thematic sections. The first, entitled‘Peripheries’, frames the art of Venice within a wider discourse on the movement ofideas across and beyond the Veneto in locations including Padua, Verona and Rome.A section on Media considers the origins and innovations that took place in the useof materials such as blue paper, oil and coloured chalks. In another, the theoriesthat have developed on Venetian notions of disegno are brought under scrutiny,addressing topics such as the long upheld perspective that Venetian artists did notdraw, the role of sculpture in Tintoretto’s drawing practice and the interrelationbetween the written and drawn line in Palma Giovane’s draftsmanship. The sectionon Invention reflects on the technical innovations that were facilitated through theuptake of printmaking and the intellectual freedom granted by humanist patrons.Finally, Function gets to the heart of the practical purpose of disegno. Contributionsfocus on the workshops of the Bellini family and Titian to consider the diverse waysthey used drawing within their artistic practices with an emphasis on technicalanalysis. These sections are all preceded by introductions that provide an overviewon each theme while the volume is bookended by two reflections on the state ofresearch into Venetian disegno and the potential for further progress.Sumptuously illustrated with over 100 images with a comprehensive bibliography,Venetian Disegno: New Frontiers circa 1420 to 1620 represents a significant contributionto scholarship on the art of Venice, Renaissance workshops and drawing studies.