Paris Bordone

Background

Paris Bordone was born in 1495 at Treviso, Italy.

Education

Bordone entered the bottega of Titian in 1509. Vasari, to whom we are indebted for nearly all the facts of Bordone's life-later research has not added much to our knowledge - holds that he did not spend many years with Titian and set himself to imitate the manner of Giorgione to the utmost of his power. As a matter of fact, the Giorgionesque traits in Bordone's earlier works are derived entirely from Titian, whom he imitated so closely that to this day some of his paintings pass under Titian's name. Crowe and Cavalcaselle and Dr Bode ascribe to Bordone the "Baptism of Christ" in the Capitoline gallery, but Morelli sees in it an early work of Titian. Paris Bordone subsequently executed many important mural paintings in Venice, Treviso and Vicenza, all of which have perished.

Career

In 1538 he was invited to France by Francis I. , at whose court he painted many portraits, though no trace of them is to be found in French collections, the two portraits at the Louvre being later acquisitions. On his return journey he undertook works of great importance for the Fugger palace at Augsburg, which again have been lost sight of. Bordone's pictures are of very unequal merit. They have a certain nobility of style, and that golden harmony of colour which he derived from Titian, together with the realistic conception of the human figure and the dignified character of his portraiture. On the other hand, his nudes are a little coarse in form, and the action of his figures is frequently unnatural and affected. A true child of the Renaissance, he also painted a number of religious pictures, numerous mythological scenes, allegories, nymphs, cupids and subjects from Ovid's fables, but he excelled as a portraitist. His principal surviving work is the "Fisherman and Doge" at the Venice Academy. The National Gallery, London, has a "Daphnis and Chloe" and a portrait of a lady, whilst a "Holy Family" from his brush is at Bridgwater House. Other important works of his are the "Madonna" in the Tadini collection at Lovere, the paintings in the Duomo of Treviso, two mythological pictures at the Villa Borghese and the Doria palace in Rome, the "Chess Players" in Berlin, a very little-known portrait of superb quality in the possession of the landgrave of Hesse at Kronberg, and a "Baptism of Christ" in Philadelphia. Besides these, there are examples of his art in Bergamo, Milan, Genoa, Padua, Siena, Venice, Florence, Munich, Dresden and Vienna.

Works

More photos

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  • Paris Bordone Annunciation - 16.1" x 24.1" Framed Premium Canvas Print

    (16.1" x 24.1" Paris Bordone Annunciation framed premium c...)

  • Paris Bordone Portrait of Thomas Stachel - 20.1" x 25.1" Framed Premium Canvas Print

    (20.1" x 25.1" Paris Bordone Portrait of Thomas Stachel fr...)

  • Paris Bordone Sleeping Venus with Cupid - 18.1" x 27.1" Premium Canvas Print Gallery Wrapped

    (18.1" x 27.1" Paris Bordone Sleeping Venus with Cupid pre...)

  • Paris Bordone Allegory (Venus Flora Mars and Cupid) - 20.1" x 25.1" Premium Canvas Print Gallery Wrapped

    (20.1" x 25.1" Paris Bordone Allegory (Venus Flora Mars an...)

  • Paris Bordone Allegory with Lovers - 18.25" x 27.25" Framed Premium Canvas Print

    (18.25" x 27.25" Paris Bordone Allegory with Lovers framed...)

  • Paris Bordone Portrait of a Woman - 20.1" x 25.1" Premium Canvas Print Gallery Wrapped

    (20.1" x 25.1" Paris Bordone Portrait of a Woman premium c...)

  • Paris Bordone Young Woman at Her Toilet - 18.1" x 24.1" Framed Premium Canvas Print

    (18.1" x 24.1" Paris Bordone Young Woman at Her Toilet fra...)

References

• Die Poesie der venezianischen Malerei: Paris Bordone, Palma il Vecchio, Lorenzo Lotto, Tizian (German Edition)
• Paris Bordon e il suo tempo: Atti del convegno internazionale di studi, Treviso, 28-30 ottobre 1985 (Italian Edition)