7/27/2019 Petronius Arbiter, The Ascention by Tintoretto,
1917
1/4
A Clever Work of Art: "The Ascension" by Tintoretto
Author(s): Petronius ArbiterSource: The Art World, Vol. 2, No. 5
(Aug., 1917), pp. 450-452Published by:Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25588050 .
Accessed: 21/09/2013 03:12
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the
Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
.http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars,
researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information
technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new
formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please
contact [email protected].
.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 201.124.227.201 on Sat, 21 Sep 2013
03:12:21 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25588050?origin=JSTOR-pdfhttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/stable/25588050?origin=JSTOR-pdf
7/27/2019 Petronius Arbiter, The Ascention by Tintoretto,
1917
3/4
August 1917 THE ART WORLD 451
A CLEVER WORK OF ART"THE ASCENSION"
BY TINTORETTO(See opposite page)
H AVING considered Ger6me's great picturelet us consider a
merely clever one byTintoretto.
If a man's place in the hierarchy of art must bedetermined by
his greatest work then Tintorettowas one of the six greatest
masters of the Renaissance, because he painted "The Miracle of
Saint
Mark," a marvel of drawing and painting and analtogether
satisfying work of art, having far
more repose than usually is found in his works,most of which,
except his portraits, are so tempestuous that many of them weary us
the morethe longer we look at them. Then he painted anumber of
pictures which are so incomplete andtherefore
unsatisfying-rendering with details,that were slouched, badly
composed, badly drawnand painted and therefore irritating-because
theforms are unrealized; but they still have certainqualities of a
high order. His "Ascension" in theScuolo di San Rocco at Venice is
one of these, seeopposite page.
Here is a distinctly historical work by an oldmaster although of
a religious character and oneof those works which prove that, late
in theRenaissance era, the great masters did not paintBiblical
subjects in the costumes of their time,but in ideal or classical
costumes-the smart Monsieur Alfred Stevens to the contrary
notwithstanding. This is merely a clever work of art, not a
great work, even though Ruskin may have thoughtit great. For
though he was right in some things
with regard to Tintoretto, he was very wrong withregard to
others.
To begin with: the conception of the subject isspoiled by
showing Christ like an acrobat balancing himself on the back of an
angel, because as
Mantegna shows at Florence in his picture of thesame subject in
the Uffizi Gallery-a much betterconception than Tintoretto's
although not socleverly painted-if Christ could ascend to theskies
at all he could do so without the need of anangel carrying him on
his back. Therefore the
more we reflect over this angel carrying the heavyload of a
large man on his back the funnier it
becomes. Hence his conception is faulty.Then the composition is,
in some respects child
ish. Why put the head of Christ so close to theframe? in order
to give the feeling that he ispassing out of it? It does the
contrary. It makesus feel that he is bumping his head against
theframe. Then, why put the three big, lumpy,opaque clouds in the
center of the picture whichlook more like sacks of laundry falling
from thesky than clouds, and thus help to destroy the"airiness" of
the picture? It is absurd. Whyseparate two of the disciples from
the rest andplace them in the background? If for the purposeof
filling the space, it would have been better filledby a charming
landscape.
Then the expression is faulty throughout thepicture. It is true
this is a religious picture, butit is also an historical. For it
records one of the
momentous occurrences of history-Christ leaving
his disciples and ascending again to heaven. Therefore, it
required for profundity of expressiondramatic unity. But the work
lacks that essentialquality; it violates the most important law
ofsuccessful art concentration of effects-and so itscatters the
attention of the beholder instead ofconcentrating it-in order to
help the expressiveness of the work.
Note that the disciples are scattered about ingroups and single
figures and are doing thingsthey would not have done in real life.
Hencedramatic unity is violated apparently for the sakeof a
decorative composition. In real life therewould not have been the
figure in the left-handcorner holding an enormous book. In Christ's
daythey had no books like that. The figure moreoverlooks like a
"steal" from Raphael's "Transfiguration." And besides it is badly
drawn in parts.
Then the man seated on the right would not bein that cramped
position. And the group of two,in the distance, would not be so far
away fromthe others, because Christ's leave-taking wouldhave
brought and held the twelve more closelytogether. Mantegna who was
inferior to Tintorettoas a "painter" managed the same matter
muchbetter in his "Ascension," likewise Titian in hisgreat
"Assumption."
Then: how commonplace the head of Christ,how
inexpressive-compared to the head of Christin Leonardo's "Last
Supper"? How lacking inexpression are nearly all of the faces!
Every
where we have an irritating lack of religious feeling in the
expression, making us feel like tellinghim: "Well, now go on and
finish your picture!"
Then the drawing is a remarkable mixture ofsplendid drawing of
movement and "go," and baddrawing in the details. For a man who can
drawas marvelously as Tintoretto did in his "Miracleof Saint Mark"
and in other works, he did some ofthe most conscienceless drawing
among the old
masters. In this picture notice the feet of theangel beneath the
clouds; notice the hands on theman seated in the left-hand corner
the one nearthe frame having but four fingers, etc.-faults allover
for a man who loves fine drawing, faults
which Tintoretto could easily have avoided if 'hehad had his
heart in his business and had had
more conscience.But when it came to color-work the old bear
scored heavily in this brilliant color scheme andclever
manipulation. For how easily he seems tohave obtained those good
effects which we do findin the picture-as if he had been a sublime
childand merely playing with things as a boy juggles
with apples! From this point of view it isastonishingly clever.
It is that which makes itclever. It is that which, moreover, keeps
it in theclass of clever art. Query: was it one of his
"potboilers"? Certainly it falls far below his "Miracleof Saint
Mark."
As for the technique displayed: surely there washere no great
effort made at any sort of technique.It is one of Tintoretto's
rapidly written pages of
This content downloaded from 201.124.227.201 on Sat, 21 Sep 2013
03:12:21 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
7/27/2019 Petronius Arbiter, The Ascention by Tintoretto,
1917
4/4
452 THE ART WORLD August 1917history thrown off with a marvelous
dash, withouta model, without much labor-a triumph of facilityby a
man with a fiery turbulent temperament anda power of visualization
rare indeed. In fact the
more we analyze this work, the more we see thatTintoretto
trivialized a great subject. We soonfeel that he was not himself
highly emotioned byhis subject and that it was executed quickly
forsome church or convent. In short, he was neitherserious nor
sincere in this work, and so merelyinterests us without rousing our
emotion. Theresult is it does not strike emotion from any oneexcept
those paint faddists who are daft on "cleverpainting," and even
they are soon wearied. Andthen, what do they do? The poor Bohemians
runoff and whine about the "dreariness" of historicaland the
"punkiness" of religious pictures, without ever having taken the
trouble to study thedifference between such a great historical
pictureas is Gerome's "Death of Caesar" and the inferior
historical picture like this "Ascension of Christ"by
Tintoretto.In short, all that saves this work which we are
considering from being called hopelessly trivial isthe great
subject chosen, and the undoubtedlyclever and even powerful color
work, and a certaindecorative movement that is not to be
despised.It shows a great master at work here, even if in an"off
moment" when he was not keyed up to doinghis best to be great.
This example of a great subject being trivializedby faulty
conception, faulty composition, faultydrawing and weak expression,
in spite of its cleverwork and technical leger-de-main absolves us
from,the duty of analyzing, this month, a trivial workof art,
because it shows how a great artist can become trivial by not
seriously and conscientiously
making the most that he can of every subject hehandles, above
all of such a historical subject asChrist going home to his
Father.
THE SWIMMERI dive where the gleaming rollers play
Green caves under the foam and sprayAnd swim far out where the
waves coquetWith the sunbeams dancing a minuetAnd turn and drift on
the limpid bed,Arms tucked under the resting head.As I dream in the
rock of the restless swellThe sky curves up like a great
sea-shell.
Or I dart down under the aquamarineSearching the depths of
luminous green'And pressing up with the palms of the handsI pierce
to the rocks and the silver sandsWhere the shell-fish cling and the
seaweeds flow
Down in the strange green twilight glowThat is never dim and is
never bright;And I shoot up, up through the wavering light.
Like a plunging seal I swiftly swimJoyous back from the blue
sea-brim:
Out and over and in and backMy flashing arms cleave a foamy
trackAnd I gulp my breath in, deep and quick,As I forge ahead with
the scissor-kickAnd I spring on the shining breaker-crestsAnd shoot
to land on their snowy breastsAnd the sea-spray drips as I leap and
runAcross the sands in the noonday sun.
Phoebe Hoffman
This content downloaded from 201.124.227.201 on Sat, 21 Sep 2013
03:12:21 AMAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsphttp://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
