An introduction to Giorgione

Curator Per Rumberg gives an introduction to the age of Giorgione, tracing the birth of the Golden Age of Venetian painting.

Problems of attribution

Despite the brevity of his career, Giorgione is considered one of the finest painters of the Renaissance, yet it is difficult to establish exactly what he painted. Professor David Ekserdjian examines the problems around attributing Giorgione’s oeuvre, and explores the extent to which any attempt to reconstruct the outlines of Giorgione’s career is hampered by the lack of documentary information about the artist.

Portrayals of age and beauty

“That fair face will as years roll on lose its beauty, and old age will bring its wrinkle to the brow” – Ovid

Beauty is habitually associated with youth, especially for women, and artistic portrayals of age and ageing have long been a contentious issue in our society. Giorgione’s La Vecchia is a rare example of a realistic portrayal of an elderly woman in the early 16th century, a period in which portraits of young, idealised “beauties” were more often celebrated. Our panel explores the depiction of ageing in art in conjunction with wider societal considerations of age and beauty.

Speakers include feminist academic Professor Lynne Segal, fashion and art historian Aileen Ribeiro and writer Sarah Dunant.