Orson Welles put it beautifully in his great film-noir puzzle The Lady from Shanghai — "It's a bright, guilty world." He could have been describing 16th century Venice, where art of high luster was produced by competitive men with great gifts and sharp elbows. The aging Titian was king of the hill. The younger Tintoretto got a start in his workshop, only to be driven out. Thereafter the old man did what he could to thwart his former pupil while promoting the even younger Veronese. This show brought together some magnificent canvases to tell the story of three brilliant men who set painting on a new course while playing some very intricate games.
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 3/15-8/16