Palma il vecchio biography sampler
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Palma il vecchio biography sampler
The Artists. Born: - Death: Located in: Tiziano Room. Want to see this artist's artworks? Palma was born at Serina Alta near Bergamoa dependency of the Republic of Venicebut his recorded career all took place in or near Venice. He is first recorded in Venice inbut had probably already been there for some time. After the deaths of Bellini and Giorgione, and the removal from Venice of Sebastiano del PiomboLorenzo Lotto and Previtali, before long Palma found himself, after Titian, the leading painter in Venice, much in demand until his early death at the age of 47 according to Vasari ; his date of birth is calculated from this.
He painted the new pastoral mythologies and half-length portraits, often of idealized beauties who, then as now, were enticingly suspected of being portraits of Venice's famous courtesans. He also painted religious pieces, in particular developing the sacra conversazione the Virgin and Child with a group of saints and perhaps donors in a horizontal form with a landscape background.
In other, secular, groups something seems to occurring between the figures, though exactly what is unclear. All these types of painting were patronized by wealthy Venetians for their homes. He also painted traditional vertical altarpieces for churches inside Venice and around the Venetian territories on the mainland such as the Presentation of the Virgin Altarpiecenow in Serina.
He was quick to absorb influences from other parts of Italy, sometimes copying poses from Michelangeloand taking influence from Central Italy from about into the 's. Palma's mature work from the 's shows a " High Renaissance style, characterized by his mastery of contrapposto, the enrichment of his high-keyed palette and the development of a dignified and diverse repertory of ideal human types in conservative compositions.
These qualities dominated his work to the exclusion of dramatic chiaroscuro, spatial experiment, expressionism and innovative composition. Freedberg sees his career as oscillating between the influences of Titian and other north and Central Italian trends, including Mannerism. His paintings frequently feature his so-called daughter Violante, of whom Titian was said to be enamoured.
Famous works by Palma include a composition of six paintings in the Venetian church of Santa Maria Formosawith St Barbara in the centre, under the dead Christ, and to right and left SS. Dominic, Sebastian, John Baptist and Anthony. A second work is in the Dresden Galleryrepresenting three sisters seated in the open air; it is frequently named The Three Graces.
A Blonde Woman. Palma Vecchio. A voluptuous woman regards us with an inviting sidelong glance that is both reticent and willing. She unveils her charms, and as she does so offers us a posy of flowers.