Paolo Pino

Paolo Pino was a Venetian painter and writer, notably a theoretician of art, as author of Dialogo di pittura, first published in 1548. His was a contemporary of the Italian writer, Ludovico Dolce (1508 – 1568), who he is often compared or contrasted with in theoretical arguments.

His Dialogo di pittura, (Dialog on Painting) contains strong arguments for a more liberal and poetic form of art, as compared to the scientific naturalism emerging of the time. While he was still in agreement that the “science” of painting, notably perspective, was important, he said, “…a picture is really poetry, that is, invention, which makes appear that which is not.” (Pino, Dialogo di Pittura)

Though, Pino was more that just a writer, following the tradition of Renaissance polymaths, like Leon Battista Alberti (1404 – 1472). Pino was an accomplished painter, as shown by his portrait work now in the Uffizi Gallery, Portrait of Doctor Coignati, signed and dated in 1534. It is said that he trained with the painter, Girolamo da Brescia (Savoldo) (1480 – 1548).