Summer
Dublin Core
Title
Summer
Description
Jacopo Tintoretto was an artist hailing from Venice during the sixteenth century and was the son of a man who dyed silk to make a living. This painting, Summer, is one of three paintings by Tintoretto that are representative of the 3 seasons, excluding winter as there is currently no indication to if that painting exists. These three paintings were made to surround a central ceiling painting in the Casa Barbo a San Pantaleone, in Venice. The central piece, the octagonal Allegory of the Dreams of Men (Detroit Institute of Arts), has themes of cyclical change that pair well with the seasons as they fit that theme as well.
This painting reflects the season summer. The main focal point of this piece is the goddess, Ceres, laid out on her right hip with her left arm draped over her head. She is laying upon a nude, sandy color sheet on top of the ground. The arm is noticeably more muscular than one would think when portraying a female, however male anatomy was commonly inserted into paintings of females during this time period. Her face on the other hand has soft features and a relaxed expression indicative of the hidden place she is and peaceful season that summer represents. She is wrapped in a wine colored sheet with lighter red in places of highlight. The colors used are very light and bright. A vivid blue sky is set as the background as stalks of wheat rise up from behind Ceres and into the sky. Rose bushes of bloomed pink buds are also peeking out from behind her laying figure A grape tree to the left of her laying body frames the left side and top of the painting, surrounding her and enhancing the focus onto her. A parrot is perched on top of the tree, a symbol of the exoticism Venice was prideful of back in this era. Its bright red feathers, and wings of blue and yellow stand out against the greenery of the tree and plants. Exotic pets were often owned in Venetian culture of this time period. Two more little blue birds, one resting below the parrot and the other above in a rose bush, are additonal representations of the myth and pride Venice had in their city. The striking animals and peaceful nature of the painting are all testemants to the way Tintoretto saw Venice.
This painting reflects the season summer. The main focal point of this piece is the goddess, Ceres, laid out on her right hip with her left arm draped over her head. She is laying upon a nude, sandy color sheet on top of the ground. The arm is noticeably more muscular than one would think when portraying a female, however male anatomy was commonly inserted into paintings of females during this time period. Her face on the other hand has soft features and a relaxed expression indicative of the hidden place she is and peaceful season that summer represents. She is wrapped in a wine colored sheet with lighter red in places of highlight. The colors used are very light and bright. A vivid blue sky is set as the background as stalks of wheat rise up from behind Ceres and into the sky. Rose bushes of bloomed pink buds are also peeking out from behind her laying figure A grape tree to the left of her laying body frames the left side and top of the painting, surrounding her and enhancing the focus onto her. A parrot is perched on top of the tree, a symbol of the exoticism Venice was prideful of back in this era. Its bright red feathers, and wings of blue and yellow stand out against the greenery of the tree and plants. Exotic pets were often owned in Venetian culture of this time period. Two more little blue birds, one resting below the parrot and the other above in a rose bush, are additonal representations of the myth and pride Venice had in their city. The striking animals and peaceful nature of the painting are all testemants to the way Tintoretto saw Venice.
Creator
Jacopo Tintoretto
Source
Jacopo Tintoretto, Venetian. c. 1555. Summer. Place: The National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ANGA_KRESSIG_10312335644.
Robert Echols, “Jacopo Tintoretto/Summer/c. 1546/1548,” Italian Paintings of the Sixteenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/46189 (accessed September 20, 2020).
Rowland, Ingrid D. “The Fantastical Little Dyer: Few Artists Could Match Tintoretto's Mastery of Color and Form--or His Sense of Playfulness.,” 2019. https://web-a-ebscohost-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=6.
Tintoretto, and Maria Adelaide. Bianchini. Tintoretto. Milano: Fratelli Fabbri, 1964.
Robert Echols, “Jacopo Tintoretto/Summer/c. 1546/1548,” Italian Paintings of the Sixteenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/46189 (accessed September 20, 2020).
Rowland, Ingrid D. “The Fantastical Little Dyer: Few Artists Could Match Tintoretto's Mastery of Color and Form--or His Sense of Playfulness.,” 2019. https://web-a-ebscohost-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=6.
Tintoretto, and Maria Adelaide. Bianchini. Tintoretto. Milano: Fratelli Fabbri, 1964.
Publisher
Robert Echols, “Jacopo Tintoretto/Summer/c. 1546/1548,” Italian Paintings of the Sixteenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/46189 (accessed September 20, 2020).
Date
C. 1555
Contributor
Olivia Migli
Format
105.7 x 193 cm, oil on canvas
Type
Ceiling Painting
Coverage
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Citation
Jacopo Tintoretto, “Summer,” ARTHIST 89S - Visual Culture of Venice - Fall 2020, accessed October 22, 2026, https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/items/show/50.