Venetian Art and Artists

Where to find the Art | Calendar of Exhibitions | Art Links

Venice has many interesting art galleries, museums and churches where you can see some marvellous and frequently world-renowned works of art, including exceptional portraits and other paintings by some of the Italy's most famous artists. You'll find paintings and sculpture housed in churches, palaces, museums, and public buildings, and also in Venice's libraries. The Venetian School, founded by Bellini, is as might be expected, well-represented. Here are some places to check out:

• Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (works by Titian, Giovanni Bellini, and Paolo Veneziano)
• Great School of Saint Roch (works by Tintoretto)
• Church of Saints John and Paul (works by Veronese)
• Santa Maria del Rosario (Gesuati) (works by Tiepolo, Ricci, and Piazzetta)
• Ca' Rezzonico (works by Canaletto, Longhi, Guardi, Carriera, and Tiepolo)
• Santa Maria del Giglio ( Rubens, Tintoretto, Zanchi)
• Santo Stefano (Tintoretto, Bordon, Tullio Lombardo)
• Santa Maria Formosa (il Vecchio, Bassano, Vivarini)
• Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Niccolo di Pietro, Pennachi, Pietro Lombardo)
• San Giovanni Elemosinario (Titian and Pordenone)
• San Polo ( Tintoretto, Veronese, Palma il Giovane)
• San Giacomo dall'Orio (Lorenzo Lotto, Palma il Giovane, Veronese)
• San Stae (Tiepolo, Giambattista Piazetta, Ricci, Bambini, Camerata, Balestra)
• Sant'Alvise ( Torri, Ricchi, Tiepolo)
• Madonna dell'Orto (Tintoretto, who lived nearby and is buried here)
• San Pietro di Castello (Pietro Liberi, Giordano)
• Santissimo Redentore (designed by Andrea Palladio, Vecchia, Veronese, Tintoretto, Bassano)
• San Sebastiano (Veronese, Tintoretto, Titian)

Through the centuries Venetian artists also created magnificent examples of Byzantine, Renaissance, Moorish, and Gothic architecture. They also developed a style that is distinctively Venetian.

Calendar of Current Art Exhibitions in Venice
The website "un Ospite di Venezia" (a Guest in Venice) has brief descriptions of current art exhibitions, performances, conferences, holidays, and other events in addition to transportation timetables and ticket prices (note: some categories may not have entries):

Opening | Continuing | Closing | Shows on the Mainland | Museums | Other exhibitions

Art Links:

Venice Biennale
"The Venice Biennale has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Ever since its foundation in 1895, it has been in the avant-garde, promoting new artistic trends and organising international events in the contemporary arts in accordance with a multi-disciplinary model which characterises its unique nature. It is world-beating for the International Film Festival (61 editions), for the International Art Exhibition (50 editions) and for the International Architecture Exhibition (9 editions), and continues the great tradition of the Festival of Contemporary Music (48 editions) and Theatre (36 editions), now flanked by the Festival of Contemporary Dance (2 editions)... "

Chorus
This is a great site which incorporates a virtual tour covering fifteen among the most important examples of Venetian religious architecture. Local priests provide illustrated descriptions of prominent churches to promote the city's cultural heritage.

Academy Art Galleries
Information about the most significant collection of Venetian painting from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, covering several galleries. It's in italian, but you can check out the artworks and there's a fascinating virtual tour of the Accademia

Palazzo Grassi
Information on the latest exhibition along with archives for past exhibitions from 1986 to 1996

Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Information on exhibitions, the museum’s history, hours of operation, and location 

Bellini, Giovanni (1430?-1516). The founder of the Venetian school of painting, Giovanni Bellini raised Venice to a centre of Renaissance art that rivalled Florence and Rome. He brought to painting a new degree of realism, a new wealth of subject matter, and a new sensuousness in form and colour.