San Marino · 500th anniversary of the birth of Jacopo Tintoretto

Tintoretto was actually named Jacopo Robusti and lived almost his entire life in Venice. His nickname derives from his father’s occupation as a dyer; “Tintoretto” essentially means “little dyer”. The painter received numerous commissions from Venetian churches, confraternities and state institutions. His children Marietta and Domenico also worked as painters and at times worked in his workshop.

His painting belongs to the Late Renaissance and at the same time displays characteristics of Mannerism. Its defining features include strongly foreshortened figures, unusual perspectives, pronounced contrasts of light and dark, and compositions that emphasize movement and spatial depth. Many of his large-format works are still located today at the places for which they were created. These include paintings in the Doge’s Palace and extensive series of works in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a Venetian lay confraternity with religious and charitable functions.

The work selected for the coin is also part of the furnishings of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Its subject comes from the Gospel of Luke: Mary visits Elizabeth after learning of her own pregnancy. At this time, Elizabeth is expecting John the Baptist. During the encounter, she recognizes Mary as the mother of Jesus; the biblical account continues with Elizabeth’s blessing and Mary’s hymn of praise, the Magnificat. In Christian art, this event is known as the “Visitation”.

No direct biographical connection between Tintoretto and San Marino is apparent. The selection is instead explained by the round anniversary of his birth and by the Republic’s cultural proximity to the Italian linguistic and artistic sphere. In addition to themes from its own state history, San Marino uses its commemorative coins to highlight artists and cultural anniversaries known beyond the country’s borders.