ARTS
Exhibitions 1
Venetian virtuosos
Roderick Conway Morris
The Tiepolos and 18th-century Vicenza (Vicenza and environs, till 26 September) he 18th century in Venice is almost universally regarded as an age of irremedi- able decadence. No matter that, before the arrival of the expansionist asset-stripper Napoleon, it was a period of economic growth, during which the state became self-sufficient in food with plenty to spare for export; that the foundations of modern industries using the latest technology were being successfully laid; and that the rapidly expanding population was better fed and clothed than ever before. Or that the century produced a number of first-rate artists and, in the person of Giambattista Tiepolo, a painter of real genius. The Bonapartist label of 'decadence and de- cline' has regrettably stuck, with the result that even Tiepolo has only recently re- ceived the attention he deserves and re- pays. Much of the credit for this reassess- ment must go to Michael Levey, whose writings on the artist have been truly Tiepoloesque shafts of brilliance piercing the Stygian fug of critical ignorance and complacency.
Giambattista Tiepolo was born in Venice in 1696, and revealed himself early to be a natural artist and superb draughts- man, who from childhood into old age seems seldom to have spent a waking hour without a pencil or brush in his hand. The constant exercise of his art was vital in giving him that exceptional facility and fluency of execution that enabled him to excel in fresco painting: since the paint is applied to the still-wet plaster, speed is essential, and second thoughts and revi- sions well-nigh impossible. A German pundit said that Tiepolo could paint more in a day than another artist (Mengs) could in a week, believing this to be a damning indictment of his superficiality. But Tiepo- lo's fellow-Venetians delighted in his panache and virtuosity, appreciated the results even more, and rewarded him with immediate fame and success. And given that, for all the later talk of decline, many palaces and churches were still being built in Venice and on the Terra Firma, he soon gained large-scale commissions. Thus Tiepolo launched himself on a career of more than half a century of continuous employment, during which he frescoed scores of walls and ceilings with religious, historical, mythical, allegorical and fantas- tic scenes, landscapes and skyscapes peo- pled by a host of Olympian gods, goddes- Detail from Giambattista Tiepolo's 'The Continence of Scipio' at the Villa Cordellina ses, heroes, lovers, nymphs, prophets, airborne madonnas, saints, martyrs, angels and tumbling putti, amidst thunderous storm clouds, billowing cumuli and radiant beams of liquid sunlight. No painter ever captured better the awe-inspiring and dramatic effects of light.
The belated rediscovery of Tiepolo has already led to a revival of interest in his monumental frescoes in such places as Venice, Milan, WOrzburg and Madrid. The city and region of Vicenza, which lie just an hour's train journey north-west of Venice, have now decided to blow their trumpet to draw the world's attention to their rich hoard of Tiepolos. This celebra- tion of the Tiepolos' Vicentine years and other aspects of artistic life of the period embraces a series of locations in and around the city, and includes the works of both Giambattista and his son Gian- domenico (wisely, since the latter's chef d'oeuvre is here). Happily, the villas will remain open and it will still be possible to see many of the pictures after the special exhibitions have closed.
The 16-year-old Giandomenico is first noted as assisting his father in 1743, when G.B. was frescoing the Villa Cordellina at Montecchio Maggiore (a short bus ride from the station), the newly-built villa of a prosperous advocate. Here Giambattista painted two marvellous ancient history scenes, 'The Continence of Scipio' and 'The Family of Darius before Alexander', complaining in his usual mild and tolerant manner of the continual distractions caused by the elegant entertainments and frolics laid on to amuse the guests. In the Palladian Basilica in the city centre there is a large exhibition of drawings and oils by father and son, with many striking works by their contemporaries, Piazzetta, Pittoni, the Ricci and others.
The high point, however, remains the delightful Villa Valmarana ai Nani, 20 or so minutes' stroll from the centre. The main house contains some of Giambattis- ta's most enchanting mature work. Five rooms are frescoed (with G.D.'s help) from floor to ceiling with a series of fascinating scenes from Homeric, Virgilian and Renaissance chivalric and epic litera- ture.
The guest quarters in the garden are done almost entirely by Giandomenico.
Here, his highly individual and entertain- ing style is given free rein in a sequence of half real, half fanciful, gently comic bucolic and oriental vignettes. These are the finest frescoes Giandomenico was ever to paint — and one is torn between regret that he did not break free to develop further his remarkable and original abilities, and relief that filial loyalty or, more likely, profound and well-informed admiration for his father's still greater talent kept him at Giambattista's side until the very end, that they might complete together the stupendous works that now give us such unalloyed pleasure.
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