Artists You Should Know: Tintoretto

From the Art History mailbag:

"Can you help me with something before summer vacation? How come they say Tintoretto painted fast? Do you get a lot of questions like this?
-- Luke S."

Luke, I think I can help. Although I would caution you against taking "them" too seriously ("they" say a ton of things), Tintoretto did paint quickly. First, and most importantly, because he was good enough to be able to do so. Secondly, because it was good for business. Tintoretto could promise and deliver commissions in a very timely manner, which meant a fast turnover, which meant he got paid more often than most. He wasn't afraid to toot his own horn, either. (The guy had a sign in his workshop claiming he could draw like Michelangelo and paint like Titian. If Tintoretto could have produced a 30-second infomercial, he probably would've come across like that Oxy-Clean man.) You can just imagine how unpopular this made him with other area artists but, the point is, he was good enough to get away with this blazing speed of his.

To answer your final question, yes. Yes, I do get a lot of questions like this. Thanks for writing, and please give my best to Vacation; I haven't laid eyes on Vacation in many, many years.