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{{Short description|Italian painter (1460s – c. 1525)}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Vittore Carpaccio
| image              = Vittore Carpaccio.jpg
| caption            = Portrait by unknown artist, {{circa|1700}}
| other_names        = {{flatlist|
*Vetor Scarpanzo
*Vittore Carpatio
*Vittore Carpathius
}}
| birth_date         = Between 1460 and 1465
| birth_place        = [[Venice]], [[Venetian Republic]]<br/>{{small|(present day Italy)}}
| death_date         = 1525 or 1526 (aged 60−66)
| death_place        = [[Koper|Capo d'Istria]], [[Venetian Republic]]<br/>{{small|(present day Slovenia)}}
| education          = Bellini studio
| known_for          = {{flatlist|
*[[Painting]]
*[[architecture]]
}}
| notable_works      = {{unbulleted list|''[[Two Venetian Ladies]]'' (1490)|''The Dream of [[St. Ursula]]'' (1495)|''[[Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto]]'' ({{circa|1496}})|''[[Saint Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio)|Saint Augustine in His Study]]'' (1502)|''[[Young Knight in a Landscape]]'' (1510)}}
| movement           = {{flatlist|
*[[Early Renaissance]]
*[[High Renaissance]]
*[[Venetian school (art)|Venetian school]]
}}
}}

'''Vittore Carpaccio''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|k|ɑːr|ˈ|p|æ|tʃ|(|i|)|oʊ}} {{respell|kar|PATCH|ee|oh}}, {{IPAc-en|US|-|ˈ|p|ɑː|tʃ|-}} {{respell|-|PAHTCH|-}}, {{IPA|it|vitˈtoːre karˈpattʃo|lang}}; {{circa|1460/65}} – {{circa|1525|lk=no}}) was an Italian painter of the [[Venetian School (art)|Venetian school]] who studied under [[Gentile Bellini]]. Carpaccio was largely influenced by the style of the early [[Italian Renaissance painter]] [[Antonello da Messina]] ({{circa|1430–1479|lk=no}}), as well as [[Early Netherlandish art|Early Netherlandish painting]]. Although often compared to his mentor Gentile Bellini, Vittore Carpaccio's command of perspective, precise attention to architectural detail, themes of death, and use of bold color differentiated him from other Italian Renaissance artists.<ref name="Humfrey-2003">{{Cite journal |last=Humfrey |first=Peter |date=2003 |title=Carpaccio Family |url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000014258 |journal=Oxford Art Online |doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T014258 |isbn=978-1-884446-05-4 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>  Many of his works display the religious themes and cross-cultural elements of art at the time; his portrayal of ''[[Saint Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio)|Saint Augustine in His Study]]'' from 1502, reflects the popularity of collecting "exotic" and highly desired objects from different cultures.<ref name="Christian-2017">{{Cite book |last1=Christian |first1=Kathleen |title=European Art and the Wider World 1350-1550 |last2=Clark |first2=Leah |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781526122902 |pages=101–128}}</ref>

Carpaccio's works ranged from single pieces painted on canvas to [[altarpiece]]s and large pictorial cycles. Several of the altarpieces, including ''St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned'' (1507), ''Presentation of Christ in the Temple'' (1510), and ''Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand'' (1515), were commissioned by churches in Venice, while the pieces following the year 1510 were primarily commissioned by individual patrons in Venice.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> One of his largest pictorial series, ''The [[Legend of Saint Ursula]]'', was begun in 1490. 

He is perhaps known best for his large urban scenes, such as the ''[[Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto]]''. This work offers some of the best impressions of Venice at the height of its power and wealth, illustrating the strong sense of civic pride among its citizens. In other paintings he demonstrates a sense of fantasy that seems to look back to medieval romance, rather than sharing in the pastoral vision of the next generation.  

By about 1510 Carpaccio's style was perceived by contemporaries as too conservative, showing little influence from the [[Renaissance humanism|Humanist]] trends that transformed [[Italian Renaissance painting]] during his lifetime.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> Scholarship in English dedicated to his biography and works remains meager when compared with the scholarship about his Venetian contemporaries, such as [[Giovanni Bellini]] or [[Giorgione]].<ref name="Skira-1958">{{Cite book |last=Skira |first=Albert |author-link=Albert Skira |title=The Taste of Our Time |publisher=The World Publishing Company |year=1958 |location=Cleveland, Ohio |pages=78–79 |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and works==
Carpaccio was born in [[Venice]] (between 1460 and 1465),<ref name="Humfrey-2022">{{Cite book |last=Humfrey |first=Peter |title=Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice |date=2022 |others=National Gallery of Art, Fondazione Musei civici di Venezia |isbn=978-0-300-25447-1 |location=New Haven |oclc=1244273776}}</ref><ref name="Strand-2022">{{Cite web |last=Strand |first=John |date=17 November 2022 |title=Who Is Vittore Carpaccio? Seven Things to Know |url=https://www.nga.gov/stories/who-is-vittore-carpaccio-seven-things-to-know.html |url-status=live |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=www.nga.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221113743/https://www.nga.gov/stories/who-is-vittore-carpaccio-seven-things-to-know.html|archive-date= December 21, 2022}}</ref> the son of Pietro Scarpaza, a Venetian furrier in the parish of Arcangelo Raffaele.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /><ref group="footnotes">The occupation of Carpaccio's father has remained debated, spanning from a leather merchant to a fisherman and boat builder. However, scholars have alternatively identified involvement in furriery. According to Peter Humfrey, the emeritus professor of art history at the [[University of St. Andrews]], "Vittore was the son of Pietro Scarpazza, a Venetian furrier."</ref> Although Carpaccio's precise date of birth remains unknown, various documents have offered clues in order to narrow it down to a particular span of years. In a will from 1472, his uncle Fra Ilario listed him as an inheritor.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /><ref name="EB19113" /> According to Venetian customs, this would have indicated that he was at least 15 at this time, suggesting a birth year before 1457.<ref name="Humfrey-2003" /> However, a closer examination of Venetian law by scholars led to the discovery that children could be regarded as ''future'' heirs, thus Carpaccio's birth year range was raised to {{Circa|1460}} to 1465. Another document revealed that Carpaccio continued to live with his father through 1486, signifying late adolescence by this time and confirming this later range of birth years.<ref name="Humfrey-2003" /> Peter Humfrey presents the various bits of evidence that scholars have used in order to determine Carpaccio's birth years, as well as the dates of his earliest works, and in turn in which workshop he trained in Venice.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /> Ultimately, the most recent research argues for a birth date between 1460 and 1465; he died around 1525 or 1526.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" />

Carpaccio (or Scarpaza, Scarpazza or Scarpanza or Scarpanzo, as the name was variously recorded in the Venetian dialect) came from a family originally from [[Mazzorbo]], an island in the [[diocese]] of [[Torcello]]. Archival documents trace the family back to at least the thirteenth century, and its members were diffused and established throughout Venice.<ref name="EB19113">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Carpaccio, Vittorio|volume=5|page=382}}</ref> Carpaccio signed two early works with the Venetian form of his last name: first as VETOR[E] SCHARPAÇO in his ''Virgin and Child'' ({{circa|1488}}) at the [[Museo Correr]] (Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia) and then as VETOR SCARPAZO on the parapet in his ''Salvator Mundi with Four Saints'' ({{circa|1490}}) owned by the Fondazione Luciano Sorlini in Carzago di Calvagese (in Brescia).<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /> By 1490, with the painting ''Arrival in Cologne'' (part of the Life of Saint Ursula cycle; see below), he began to use variants of the Latin Carpatius and Carpathius.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /><ref name="Artist Info">{{Cite web |title=Artist Info |url=https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1092.html |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=www.nga.gov}}</ref> It was not until a 1648 publication that one of his biographers, Carlo Ridolifu, referred to the artist as "Carpaccio" the name for which he is known today.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" />{{rp|3−4}}

Early twentieth-century scholars Molmento and Ludwig<ref name="Molmenti-1907" /> argued that Carpaccio's first teacher [[Lazzaro Bastiani]], who, like the [[Giovanni Bellini|Bellini]] brothers and [[Antonio Vivarini|Vivarini]], was the head of a large ''[[atelier]]'' in Venice.<ref name="EB19113" /> In the end, scarce details remain about his early life, leaving scholars to piece together his early artistic training and formation.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /> In the 2022 catalogue raisonné, Humfrey presents the different arguments for why Carpaccio possibly apprenticed in the Venetian studio of the [[Bellini]] family, developing his artistry under the guidance of [[Gentile Bellini]] and/or [[Giovanni Bellini]].<ref name="Humfrey-2003" /><ref name="Humfrey-2022" />

[[File:Vittore_Carpaccio_006.jpg|thumb|Vittore Carpaccio, ''Salvator Mundi with Four Saints'' ({{Circa|1489/90}}) owned by the Fondazione Luciano Sorlini in Carzago di Calvagese (in Brescia)|left]]

Carpaccio's earliest known solo works are a ''Virgin and Child'' ({{circa|1488}} or 1489) at the [[Museo Correr]] (Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia) and the ''[[Salvator Mundi]]'' ''with Four Saints'' ({{circa|1489|1490|lk=no}}) owned by the Fondazione Luciano Sorlini in Carzago di Calvagese (in Brescia).<ref name="Humfrey-2022"/>{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 1: pp. 110-111}}{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 2: pp. 112-114}} The Virgin and Child reflects the influence of works from the Bellini workshop ([[Giovanni Bellini]] and [[Giovanni Bellini]]) – especially the Virgin's hands and headdress, along with the figure of the Christ Child.{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 1: pp. 110-111}} Carpaccio may have also been influenced by the works of [[Lazzaro Bastiani]] and [[Alvise Vivarini]], Venetian painters of an older generation.{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 1: pp. 110-111}} The black backdrop of the ''Salvator Mundi'' (Savior of the World) was likely influenced by [[Antonello da Messina]]'s ''Salvator Mundi'' (1475-76).{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 2: pp. 112-114}} Furthermore, Antonello's use of rounded forms and volumes, along with the three-quarter views of the four surrounding saints likely influenced the aspiring, although immature, style of Carpaccio.{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 2: pp. 112-114}}

Carpaccio's ''Madonna and Child with Two Saints (''c.1485-1510) was destroyed during World War II. It was stored in a [[flak tower]] in Berlin for safe keeping, but in May 1945, the tower was set on fire and most of the objects inside were destroyed.<ref>[https://www.nga.gov/research/library/imagecollections/features/kaiser-friedrich.html Flakturm (flaktower) Friedrichshain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024040802/https://www.nga.gov/research/library/imagecollections/features/kaiser-friedrich.html |date=2020-10-24 }}, NGA, Washington</ref>

== Principal works (1490–1520s) ==
Carpaccio's principal works were executed between 1490 and 1519, placing him among the early masters of [[Venetian painting]] in the Renaissance.   

By 1490, Carpaccio painted ''[[Legend of Saint Ursula|The Legend of Saint Ursula]]'', a series of paintings for the Scuola di Sant'Orsola, one of the religious [[Confraternity|confraternities]] in Venice (see below "Narrative Cycles" for more on this series). This series elevated his prominence in early Renaissance Venice, allowing him to distinguish himself as a capable, creative painter skilled in artistic narration and lighting.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994">{{Cite book |last=Fortini-Brown |first=Patricia |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/442728120 |title=Venetian Narrative Painting in the Age of Carpaccio |date=1994 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=0-300-04025-3 |oclc=442728120}}</ref>

Around 1501–1507, he worked  with Giovanni Bellini, painting in the [[Doge's Palace#Institutional chambers|Sala del Gran Consiglio]] in the [[Doge's Palace]].<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" /> Like many other major works, the cycle was entirely lost in the fire of 1577.

[[File:Vittore carpaccio, visione di sant'agostino 01.jpg|thumb|''[[Saint Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio)|Saint Augustine in His Study]]'']]
Shortly after the year 1502, Vittore Carpaccio's  ''[[Saint Augustine in His Study (Carpaccio)|Saint Augustine in His Study]]'' was painted and signed with the inscription: VICTOR / CARPATHIVS / FINGEBAT.{{sfnp|Humfrey|2022|loc=cat. no. 29: pp. 176-179}} The artist situates the saint in an idealized interior domestic space, alluding to contemporary practices in the art of collecting during the Renaissance period.<ref name="Christian-2017" /> This painting showcases how objects associated with collecting are meant to spill out within a space and between the rooms of a house.<ref name="Christian-2017" /> On the left wall of the painting, sculptures, [[Etruscan art|Etruscan]] vases, and a [[Mamluk Sultanate|Mamluk]] metalwork candlestick are displayed on a shelf, referencing objects that were highly sought after during that time and valued in Renaissance art collecting.<ref name="Christian-2017" />

Carpaccio completed additional narrative cycles and expanded his oeuvre. Between 1502 and 1504, he portrayed episodes from the lives of [[Saint Jerome]] and [[the Virgin Mary]].<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" />

The legend of [[Saint George]] is referenced in his painting, ''St. George Baptizing the Selenites'' (1507)''.'' According to the [[Golden Legend]], George, a Christian knight, rescues a [[Libya]]n princess who has been offered in sacrifice to a [[dragon]].  Horrified that her [[pagan]] family would do such a thing, George brings the dragon back to her town and compels them to be [[baptized]].<ref>[[Jacobus de Voragine|Jacobus de Voraigine]], ''The Golden Legend:  Readings on the Saints'', tr. William Granger Ryan, Vol. I (Princeton University Press, 1993), p. 240.</ref> The legend of St. George was enormously popular during the Renaissance, and the confrontation between the knight and the dragon was painted later by numerous artists, such as Albrecht Altdorfer's ''St. George and the Dragon'' (1510).

From 1507 to 1508, Carpaccio executed the work, ''St. Tryphonius Exorcizing the Demon''.<ref name="Humfrey-2003" />

In 1508, he joined a committee established to assess the frescoes painted by [[Giorgione]], which had been commissioned by the [[Fondaco dei Tedeschi]], a trading post for German merchants.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" />

Carpaccio appears to have been influenced by [[Cima da Conegliano]], as evidenced in the ''Death of the Virgin'' from 1508, at Ferrara.<ref name="EB19113" /> In 1510, Carpaccio executed the panels of ''Lamentation on the Dead Christ'' and ''The Meditation on the Passion'', where the sense of sorrow found in such works by [[Andrea Mantegna|Mantegna]] is backed by extensive use of symbolism. The theme of death is evident in ''The Meditation on the Passion'', as Christ's body sits on a throne with [[pseudo-Hebrew]] inscriptions.<ref name="Vittore Carpaccio">{{Cite web |title=Vittore Carpaccio {{!}} The Meditation on the Passion |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435851 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |language=en}}</ref> In the background sit leafless trees, crumbling buildings, and a dry, desert ground—all alluding to the theme of death.<ref name="Vittore Carpaccio" /> During the same year, 1510, Carpaccio painted''[[Young Knight in a Landscape]]'', now located in the [[Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection]] of [[Madrid]].

In the early 1510s, Carpaccio began to experiment with other formats, particularly altarpieces and other devotional works on a smaller scale.<ref name="Eastlake, Charles Lock, Sir-2011">{{Cite book |last1=Eastlake |first1=Charles Lock (Sir) |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1008092073 |title=The travel notebooks of Sir Charles Eastlake |date=2011 |publisher=The Walpole Society |oclc=1008092073 |author-link=Charles Lock Eastlake}}</ref> However, he experienced less success upon the rise of younger artists, such as [[Titian]], [[Giorgione]], and [[Lorenzo Lotto]], whose innovative styles challenged his conservative values.<ref name="Eastlake, Charles Lock, Sir-2011" /> Nonetheless, he designed various altarpieces for Venetian churches, including ''St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned'' (1507), ''Presentation of Christ in the Temple'' (1510), and ''Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand'' (1515), while he also continued to paint for a more modest community of provincial patrons.<ref name="Eastlake, Charles Lock, Sir-2011" />

[[File:Presentazione_di_Gesù_al_Tempio_di_Vittore_Carpaccio_(6).JPG|thumb|277x277px|Detail of ''Presentation of Jesus in the Temple'' (1510)]]

Between 1511 and 1520 he finished five pictures on the ''Life of [[St. Stephen]]'' for the Scuola di Santo Stefano. One of those paintings, ''The Ordination of Saint Stephen'' (1511), an oil on canvas, is located today in the [[Gemäldegalerie, Berlin]].<ref name="Strand-2022" />

[[File:Vittore Carpaccio - Fuga in Egitto (Washington).jpg|thumb|left|Vittore Carpaccio, ''The Flight into Egypt'', c. 1515, oil on panel, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.28)]]

Carpaccio's ''Saint George and the Dragon (1516)'', an oil on canvas painting located in the Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore, Benedicti Claustra Onlus, (Venice), positions St. George as the dragon-slayer to symbolize the triumph of Christian values over the devil (represented as a dragon).<ref name="Strand-2022" /> Although uncommon in the iconographic depictions of St. George, ''St. George Baptizing the Selenites'' offers a good example of the type of oriental (eastern) subjects that were popular in Venice at the time: great care and attention is given to the foreign costumes, and hats are especially significant in indicating the European construction of the exotic. In ''The Baptism'' scene'','' one of the recent converts has placed his elaborate red-and-white, jewel-tipped [[turban]] on the ground in order to receive the [[sacrament]]. Fortini Brown argues that this increased interest in exotic eastern subject matter was a result of worsening relations between Venice and the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]]:  "as it became more of a threat, it also became more of an obsession."<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" />{{rp|69}}

In 1516, he painted a [[Sacra Conversatione]] painting in the then-Venetian town of Capo d'Istria (now [[Koper]] in [[Slovenia]]), which is hanging in its [[Koper Cathedral|Cathedral of the Assumption]]. Carpaccio created several more works in Capo d'Istria, where he spent the last years of his life and also died.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 February 2016 |title=Leto Vittoreja Carpaccia, spomin na čas, ko je Koper veljal za "istrske Atene" |language=Slovenian |trans-title=The Year of Vittore Carpaccio, the Memory of Time when Koper Was Considered the "Athens of Istria" |publisher=MMC RTV Slovenija |url=http://www.rtvslo.si/kultura/drugo/leto-vittoreja-carpaccia-spomin-na-cas-ko-je-koper-veljal-za-istrske-atene/385207}}</ref>

=== Narrative cycles and Altarpieces ===
[[File:Vittore_carpaccio,_Martyrdom_of_the_Pilgrims_and_the_Funeral_of_St_Ursula_02.jpg|thumb|229x229px|[[Legend of Saint Ursula|''Martyrdom of the Pilgrims and the Funeral of St. Ursula'']] 1490-94]]

[[File:Vittore_carpaccio,_Dream_of_St_Ursula_01.jpg|thumb|229x229px|[[Legend of Saint Ursula|''Dream of St. Ursula'']] 1490-94]]

==== The Legend of Saint Ursula Cycle ====
In 1490, Carpaccio began [[Legend of Saint Ursula|''The Legend of Saint Ursula,'']] a series of paintings executed for the ''[[Scuola di Sant'Orsola]]'' depicting the life of the [[confraternity]]'s patron saint.<ref name="EB19113" /> The ''Scuola di Sant'Orsola'' was a well-established [[confraternity]] where many individuals across the social spectrum would come together and engage in civic-oriented work.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rodini |first=Elizabeth |date=2013 |title=The Politics of Marriage in Carpaccio's St. Ursula Cycle. |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23617847 |journal=Early Modern Women |volume=8 |pages=87|doi=10.1086/EMW23617847 |jstor=23617847 |s2cid=155847784 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> This cycle has led scholars to describe him as a "master visual storyteller," since the large-scale paintings were installed in large open spaces, like a reception or audience hall, allowing spectators to take in the scenes, similar to animation storyboards.<ref name="Skira-1958" />

The subject of Carpaccio's paintings, which are housed in the [[Gallerie dell'Accademia]], was drawn from the [[Golden Legend]] of [[Jacobus de Voragine|Jacopo da Varagine]].<ref name="Jacobus de Voraigine">[[Jacobus de Voragine|Jacobus de Voraigine]], ''The Golden Legend:  Readings on the Saints'', tr. William Granger Ryan, Vol I (Princeton University Press, 1993), p. 240.</ref> The legend revolves around [[Saint Ursula|St. Ursula]] and her companions in [[Cologne]] where tradition relates that in the year 385, a legion of eleven thousand virgins professing their faith to [[Jesus|Christ]], with Ursula at their head and twenty thousand [[Christians]] by their side, would be massacred by the Germans upon their arrival in [[Cologne]] after coming from the island of Britain.<ref name="Molmenti-1907">{{Cite book |last1=Molmenti |first1=Pompeo |title=The Life and Works of Vittorio Carpaccio |last2=Ludwig |first2=Gustav |publisher=London, J. Murray |year=1907 |location= |pages=79 |translator-last=Hobart Cust |translator-first=Robert H. |author-link=Pompeo Marino Molmenti}}</ref> Carpaccio was greatly inspired by the legend, especially its themes of [[massacre]] and chronology that brought the story to life.<ref name="Molmenti-1907" />

The cycle of paintings expresses a fantastical tone that is reminiscent of [[Giovanni Bellini]] and [[Gentile Bellini]].<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> It would take Carpaccio about seven years to complete all nine paintings and over the course of the seven years his artistic style would mature.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> Carpaccio's use of perspective, depth, and dimension were key points of improvement throughout his series, as observed by various art historians.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> One of the most notable paintings in [[Legend of Saint Ursula|''The Legend of Saint Ursula'']] series is the ''Arrival of St. Ursula at Cologne'' (1490), which recalls the work of [[Jacopo Bellini]] in its elemental treatment of light and atmosphere.<ref name="EB19113"/> In the ''Dream of St. Ursula'' (1490), Carpaccio paints the story of heavenly love where St. Ursula is visited by an angel in her dream informing her that she will die and become a martyr of Christ.<ref name="Molmenti-1907" /> By 1495, in the ''Departure of St. Ursula'', the largest canvas of the series, his treatment of color, geometric perspective, and figural composition would reflect his careful study and mastery over Venetian narrative art form.<ref name="EB19113" /> The piece illustrates a town teeming with people, while simultaneously flaunting splendor by including marbles, expensive fabrics, and architecture inspired by the eastern Mediterranean.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/>

==== The Schiavoni and Albanesi Cycles ====
In the opening decade of the sixteenth century, Carpaccio embarked on works that scholars have argued made him one of the foremost [[Orientalism|orientalist]] painters of his age.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994"/>{{rp|69}} From 1502 to 1507 Carpaccio executed another notable cycle of panels for the [[Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni]] which served one of Venice's immigrant communities (''[[Schiavone|Schiavoni]]'' meaning "Slavs" in the Venetian dialect). Unlike the use of a [[Narrative art#Continuous Narrative|continuous narrative]] sequence found in the ''St. Ursula'' series, wherein the main characters appear multiple times within each canvas, each work in the ''Schiavoni'' cycle concentrates on a single episode in the lives of [[Dalmatia]]'s three patron saints: [[St. Jerome]], [[St. George]] and St. Trifon. In the painting, ''Jerome Leading the Lion into the Monastery'' (1509), introduces a humorous, intimate mood.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> Another painting, ''[[St. George and the Dragon (Carpaccio)|St. George and the Dragon]],'' explores themes of the Christian night vanquishing the Muslim infidel.<ref name="Humfrey-2022" /> These works are thought of as "orientalist" because they offer evidence of a fascination with the [[Levant]]: a distinctly Middle Eastern-looking landscape takes an increasing role in the images as the backdrop to the religious scenes.<ref name="Christian-2017" /> Moreover, several of the scenes deal directly with cross-cultural issues, such as translation and conversion.<ref name="Christian-2017" />

The painting cycle of ''[[Life of the Virgin]]'' for [[Scuola degli Albanesi]]<ref>{{citation |author=Kathleen Kuiper |title=The 100 Most Influential Painters & Sculptors of the Renaissance |date=February 1, 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_jn79DlTR1QC&q=Vittore+Carpaccio&pg=PA171 |pages=171–172 |edition=I |publisher=Rosen Education Service |isbn=978-1615300044}}</ref> dates to 1504–1508 and was largely executed by Carpaccio's assistants. The images are now divided among the [[Accademia Carrara]] of [[Bergamo]], the [[Pinacoteca di Brera]] in [[Milan]], and the [[Ca' d'Oro]] in Venice.

==== Altarpieces ====
In 1491, Carpaccio completed the ''Glory of St. Ursula'' [[altarpiece]], a large scale detachable wall-painting painted for the hall of one of the [[Scuole Grandi of Venice|Venetian ''scuole'']], which were charitable and social confraternities. Three years later he took part in the decoration of the [[Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista]], painting the ''[[Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto]]'' (1496). Other altarpieces that Carpaccio created, like ''St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned'' (1507), ''Presentation of Christ in the Temple'' (1510), and ''Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand'' (1515), were commissioned by Venice churches. The church-patron of ''St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned'' (1507) remains unknown; however, ''Presentation of Christ in the Temple'' (1510) was commissioned by the church of San Giobbe,<ref name="www.wga.hu">{{Cite web |title=Altarpieces in or from Venetian churches |url=https://www.wga.hu/tours/venetian/venetian.html |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=www.wga.hu}}</ref> and ''Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand'' (1515) by the church of San Giorgio Maggiore.<ref name="www.wga.hu" /> After 1510, he painted for [[patrons]] in his province, sending his altarpieces to patrons in cities across the country. It has been argued that his altarpieces were not his best works, as they appeared unnatural and lacked fluidity when compared to the most influential altarpieces of the time.<ref name="www.nga.gov">{{Cite web |title=Artist Info |url=https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1092.html |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=www.nga.gov}}</ref>

== Artistic decline and death (1520s) ==

Towards the end of his life, the quality of his art began to decline, specifically following his ''Schiavoni'' pieces.<ref name="Skira-1958"/> The change in quality was remarked upon by the artistic community then and now.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> By contrast, the Italian Renaissance painter Giorgione made innovations in the field that Carpaccio was simply unable to match.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> The expectations and artistic demands had changed, resulting in Carpaccio's style seeming outmoded in comparison. He never altered his style to keep up with these new innovations.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> Carpaccio increasingly turned to the assistance of his sons Pietro and Benedetto, his principal pupils. However, he independently completed his final work, which consisted of decorating organ shutters for the [[Duomo]] at [[Koper|Capo d'Istria]] in 1523.<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=Painted Organ Shutters in Renaissance Italy |url=https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-ym57-tp81 |publisher=Columbia University |date=2020 |doi=10.7916/d8-ym57-tp81 |language=en |first=Sophia |last=D'Addio}}</ref>

Carpaccio's late works were mostly done in the Venetian mainland territories, and in collaboration with his sons Benedetto and Piero. One of his pupils was [[Marco Marziale]]. 

[[File:Koper_(119)_(3958295632).jpg|thumb|278x278px|The Carpaccio House, believed to be the residence of Carpaccio and his sons, in the Istrian town of Capo d'Istria, also known as Capodistria (now [[Koper]]), Slovenia]]
He spent his final years in this Slovenian town, where he died between 1525 and 1526.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Campbell |first=Caroline |author-link=Caroline Campbell (museum director) |date=2015 |title=Carpaccio: Conegliano |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43858109 |journal=The Burlington Magazine |volume=157 |issue=1347 |pages=433–435 |jstor=43858109 |issn=0007-6287}}</ref>

== Style ==
Carpaccio was one of the first artists to include a ''[[cartellino]]'' into his paintings; he inserted it into select pieces in a way that made it appear as if the artist had left it there without thought.<ref name="Matthew-1998">{{Cite journal |last=Matthew |first=Louisa C. |date=1998 |title=The Painter's Presence: Signatures in Venetian Renaissance Pictures |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3051316 |journal=The Art Bulletin |volume=80 |issue=4 |pages=616–648 |doi=10.2307/3051316 |jstor=3051316 |issn=0004-3079|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In comparison to his mentor [[Giovanni Bellini]], Carpaccio's works are overall less defined.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> Considered untraditional at the time, Carpaccio painted his altarpieces on canvas rather than on wood panel.<ref name="Humfrey-2003" /> In addition, he carried out thin priming, which resulted in a bolder look.<ref name="Humfrey-2003" />

Carpaccio was observed to have played with the [[vanishing point]] in his works. For example, in ''St. Jerome In His Study'', the vanishing point is to the right of the center.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> While he did still employ the traditional use of having the vanishing point be in the center, at times Carpaccio added a second vanishing point.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> In ''The Death of St. Jerome'' (1502), a second vanishing point was included below the primary one on the body of the saint.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> The effect was that the primary vanishing point broadcast imagery away from the observer, while the vanishing point below brought the imagery towards the observer.<ref name="Skira-1958" /> 

Carpaccio paid special attention to architecture, depicting buildings precisely and accurately to ensure that his paintings reflected the new architectural elements in [[Venice]].<ref name="Skira-1958" />

== Legacy and influence ==
[[File:Clevelandart_1955.70.jpg|thumb|Milk-glass tumbler from Murano, inspired by Carpaccio's ''Two Venetian Ladies'']]
Carpaccio transformed from being a member of a small furrier merchant family to being a prominent artist in Italy, with some scholars comparing his stature to Gentile Bellini.<ref name="www.nga.gov" />  Unlike Bellini, Carpaccio worked mostly in what has been described as a more conservative-style of painting, a contrast to the growing [[Humanism|humanist]] tendencies that were a prominent influence on other painters in Italy during his lifetime.<ref name="Artist Info"/>  His depiction of Venetian architecture and everyday life has greatly contributed to modern historians' conception of fifteenth-century Venetian culture.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" /> Most of Carpaccio's works have been relocated and are now displayed in the [[Gallerie dell'Accademia]] in Venice.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" /> Only one complete collection of paintings remains intact, which can be found along the walls of the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" />

Later artists produced various works in the aftermath of Carpaccio's death and were inspired by his oeuvre. For instance, [[Paris Bordone]]'s ''[[The Presentation of the Ring]]'' (1534), an oil painting, echoed Carpaccio's broad compositions, accurate representation of textiles and fabrics, and representation of a gathering of a [[confraternity]].<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" /> Carpaccio also influenced the glassware industry of sixteenth-century [[Murano]].<ref name="Mack-2002">{{Cite book |last=Mack |first=Rosamond E. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/473077980 |title=Bazaar to Piazza: Islamic Trade and Italian Art, 1300-1600. |date=2002 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-22131-1 |oclc=473077980}}</ref> For instance, collections of [[Milk glass|milk-glass]] tumblers, especially those depicting brides to celebrate engagements, drew heavily from his painting ''[[Two Venetian Ladies]]'' ({{circa|1490}})''.''<ref name="Mack-2002" />
In 1950, the Italian dish known as carpaccio was invented by a chef in Venice. An exhibit of the artist Carpaccio’s work was being shown at that time, and his name was applied to the dish.

== Critical reception: then and now ==
[[File:081_le_vite,_vittore_carpaccio.jpg|thumb|231x231px|''Portrait of Carpaccio'' by Giorgio Vasari, 1568]]
Carpaccio received modest acclaim during his lifetime, only occasionally creating works for the [[Venetian nobility]].<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> While regular employment was scarce, he primarily served a variety of working-class patrons that consisted of sailors, artisans, and tradesmen belonging to the scuole of the [[Albanesi]] and [[Schiavone|Schiavoni]].<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> He was also commissioned to create mainland works for [[Bergamo]]'s parish church of [[Grumello de' Zanchi]] and a scuole in [[Udine]]. Outside of Venice, he received support from a few distinguished families, such as the [[della Rovere]] of [[Urbino]].<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/>

While assessments among historians and scholars vary, many identify Carpaccio as one of the most significant contemporaries of Giovanni Bellini.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> Despite residing in the shadows of his mentors, he received recognition from contemporary scholars, writers, and critics.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> In his accounts on perspective, the Italian diplomat and architect, [[Daniele Barbaro]], referenced Carpaccio's works.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> Similarly, in [[Giorgio Vasari]]'s 1568 series ''[[Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects|Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori]]'' (''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects''), Carpaccio appeared at the forefront of a list of Venetian painters.<ref group="footnotes">Depictions of Carpaccio are both scarce and tentative. He may have included a self-portrait in the ''[[Disputation of St. Stephen]]'' and has been mistaken to be the subject of [[Vittore Greco's]] ''Portrait of a Man''. A more definite portrayal, ''Portrait of Carpaccio'', can be found in Vasari's ''Vite'' of 1568.</ref> This decision distinguished his artistic reputation from other painters in northern Italy.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994"/>

Interest in Carpaccio resurged in the nineteenth century as English writer and art critic [[John Ruskin]] celebrated the Venetian painter's attention to detail.<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994"/> Ruskin likened Carpaccio's works to a "...magic mirror which flashes back instantly whatever it sees beautifully arranged{{nbsp}}..." The nineteenth-century Italian painter [[Pompeo Marino Molmenti]] held a similarly high view, regarding Carpaccio as "...the most truthful chronicler of a people living in the full meridian of their glory."<ref name="Fortini-Brown-1994" /> In the twentieth century, increased recognition of Carpaccio's works culminated in the 1963 retrospective exhibition that took place in [[the Doge's Palace]] in Venice.<ref name="Humfrey-2003"/> According to several scholars it was this exhibition in Venice that in turn inspired a local chef, Giuseppe Cipriani (founder of [[Harry's Bar (Venice)|Harry's Bar]] in Venice), to name a dish (thinly sliced raw beef) after the painter and his use of vibrant reds.<ref name="Strand-2022" /><ref>From the National Gallery of Art (NGA): {{unbulleted list citebundle|{{Cite web |title=Is Carpaccio's Paint as Red as Raw Meat? |url=https://www.nga.gov/stories/carpaccio-paint-red-raw-meat.html |url-status=live |date=16 November 2022 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=www.nga.gov|archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207201231/https://www.nga.gov/stories/carpaccio-paint-red-raw-meat.html}}|The NGA includes the following credit for the web article: "Based on Joanna Dunn's pigment research and essay" in:}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dunn |first1=Joanna |chapter=Carpaccio's Pictorial Technique |title=Vittore Carpaccio: Paintings and Drawings |publisher=National Gallery of Art |id=[Exhibition catalog, ''Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice'' November 20, 2022 – February 12, 2023]}}</ref>

The first ever retrospective of his art outside of Italy, ''Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice'' was exhibited at Washington, D.C.'s [[National Gallery of Art]], November 20, 2022 – February 12, 2023, with an accompanying exhibition catalog, ''Vittore Carpaccio: Paintings and Drawings''. A comprehensive publication with the same title as the exhibition was simultaneously released.<ref name="Humfrey-2022"/><ref name="www.nga.gov-2">{{Cite web |title=Past Exhibition − Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice |url=https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/carpaccio-renaissance-venice.html |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=www.nga.gov}}</ref> The exhibition brought together forty-five paintings and thirty drawings made by Carpaccio, including the NGA's ''Virgin Reading'' ({{circa|1505}}), which had recently undergone conservation work.<ref name="www.nga.gov-2" /><ref name="raw meat">{{Cite web |title=Is Carpaccio's Paint as Red as Raw Meat? |url=https://www.nga.gov/stories/carpaccio-paint-red-raw-meat.html |url-status=live |date=16 November 2022 |access-date=2022-12-17 |website=www.nga.gov|archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207201231/https://www.nga.gov/stories/carpaccio-paint-red-raw-meat.html}}</ref> It is planned for the exhibition to travel to the Palazzo Ducale, Venice, to be on view from March 18 to June 18, 2023.<ref name="www.nga.gov-2" />

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="170" heights="200" caption="Vittore Carpaccio">
File:Holy Pilgrim and St.Sebastien.jpg|''Holy Pilgrim and St. Sebastian''  [[National Museum of Serbia]] (1495)
File:Vittore Carpaccio - Preparation of Christ's Tomb - Google Art Project.jpg|''Preparation of Christ's Tomb'' (1505), [[Staatliche Museen]], Berlin
File:Carpaccio the virgin reading.jpg|''The Virgin Reading'' (c. 1505), oil on panel transferred to canvas, [[National Gallery of Art]] (Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.354)
File:Vittore carpaccio, battesimo dei seleniti 01.jpg|''St. George Baptizing the Selenites'' (1507), [[Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni]], Venice
File:Vittore Carpaccio - Young Knight in a Landscape - Google Art ProjectFXD.jpg|''[[Young Knight in a Landscape]]'' (1510), [[Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum]], Madrid
File:Vittore Carpaccio - Portrait of the Doge Leonardo Loredan - WGA04337.jpg|''[[Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan (Carpaccio)|Portrait of the Doge Leonardo Loredan]]'' (1510), [[Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti di Bergamo]]
File:Vittore Carpaccio 082.jpg|''Portrait of a Venetian Nobleman'' (c. 1510) [[Norton Simon Museum]], Pasadena
File:Carpaccio, sibilla.jpg|''[[Sibyl]]'' (c. 1510), [[Uffizi]], Florence
File:Vittore carpaccio, san vitale a cavallo e otto santi, 1514, 05.JPG|''[[Vitalis of Milan|San Vitale]] on horse'' (1514)
File:La Prédication de saint Etienne à Jérusalem de Carpaccio.jpg|[[The Sermon of St. Stephen (Carpaccio)|''The Sermon of St. Stephen'']] (1514), [[Louvre]], Paris
File:Carpaccio - San Paolo stigmatizzato - 1520 -SantuarioSan Domenico - Chioggia.jpg|''St. Paul'' (1520), San Domenico, [[Chioggia]]
File:Accademia - Ambassadors Depart by Carpaccio.jpg|''Sant' Orsola polyptych'' [[Gallerie dell'Accademia]], Venice
File:Vittore Carpaccio Birth of the Virgin.jpg|''Birth of the Virgin'' (c. 1502), oil on canvas, [[Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti di Bergamo]]
File:Vittore carpaccio, scuola degli albanesi, annunciazione, ca' d'oro.jpg|''Annunciation'', [[Ca' d'Oro]], Venice
File:Vittore carpaccio, due dame veneziane.jpg|''Two Venetian ladies'', [[Museo Correr]], Venice
File:Vittore Carpaccio - Hunting on the Lagoon (recto), Letter Rack (verso) - 79.PB.72 - J. Paul Getty Museum.jpg|''Hunting on the Lagoon'', [[Getty Center]], Los Angeles
File:Vittore carpaccio, due dame veneziane e caccia in laguna.jpg|"Hunting on the Lagoon" & "Two Venetian Ladies" (reconstruction)
File:Vittore Carpaccio - Saint John the Baptist - Google Art Project.jpg|''[[Saint John the Baptist]]'', [[Philbrook Museum of Art]], Tulsa
File:Carpaccio madonna 2 saints DLI 14105011481.jpg|[https://library.nga.gov/permalink/01NGA_INST/1p5jkvq/alma991731833804896 ''Madonna and Child with Two Saints''], {{Circa|1485}}-1510, formerly the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, destroyed 1945 in [https://www.nga.gov/research/library/imagecollections/features/kaiser-friedrich.html the Flakturm Friedrichshain fire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024040802/https://www.nga.gov/research/library/imagecollections/features/kaiser-friedrich.html |date=2020-10-24 }}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nga.gov/research/library/imagecollections.html |title=Department of Image Collections, National Gallery of Art Library, Washington, DC{{!}}NGA, Washington |access-date=2021-11-18 |archive-date=2014-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324082235/http://sacrumluce.sns.it/mv/html/ART/AUT_99CL00033300000/intro.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
</gallery>

==References==

=== Footnotes ===
<references group="footnotes" />

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Daniele Trucco, "Vittore Carpaccio e l'esasperazione dell'orrido nell'iconografia del Rinascimento", in «Letteratura & Arte», n. 12, 2014, pp.&nbsp;9–23.
* [[Pompeo Marino Molmenti|Pompeo Molmenti]], Gustav Ludwig, ''The Life and Works of Vittorio Carpaccio'' (London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, W., 1907)
* Humfrey, Peter, ed., [https://books.google.com/books?id=SMy_zQEACAAJ ''Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice'']. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2022. {{ISBN|9780300254471}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.vittorecarpaccio.org vittorecarpaccio.org] (150 works by Vittore Carpaccio)
*[http://www.scholarsresource.com/browse/artist/225 Paintings by Vittore Carpaccio]
*[http://www.wga.hu/html/c/carpacci/index.html Web Gallery of Art]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160425060044/http://www.pokrajinskimuzejkoper.si/en/carpaccio500 Carpaccio500]. [[Koper Regional Museum]].
*[https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2022/carpaccio-renaissance-venice.html Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice], Exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, November 20, 2022 – February 12, 2023.
*[https://www.apollo-magazine.com/vittore-carpaccio-renaissance-venice-national-gallery-of-art-washington/ "Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice"] ''Apollo'', 11 November 2022.

{{Vittore Carpaccio}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpaccio, Vittore}}
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