Carpaccio’s National Gallery close-up
The Venetian Renaissance painter rarely met a detail he didn’t like.
Many are familiar with the thinly-sliced, meat appetizer Carpaccio. But few know the Renaissance painter who lent it its name: Vittore Carpaccio.
I had seen several Carpaccio paintings before spending a good deal of time in the National Gallery’s exhibition “Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice” (through Feb. 12) and poring over its thorough catalog. Both made me realize how little I knew about him.
My article on the exhibit appears in National Catholic Reporter under the title “This Venetian Renaissance painter rarely met a detail he didn’t like.” And if you are a premium subscriber to this newsletter, stay tuned. I may pen something on the artist’s extensive (and often wild) Hebrew inscriptions.
I'm glad to have learned about this detail guy and...the possible yeti! Carpaccio will always be more than just carpaccio for me now.