Francesco Pianta and his "Fury" and "Spy"

Fury and Spy, Francesco Pianta, wooden altar frontal, Scuola Grande di S. Rocco, Sala Capitolare


Francesco Pianta, signed himself "Franciscus Planta iunior venetus [Francesco Pianta the Younger of Venice] on the base of his portrait of Tintoretto. He belonged to a Venetian family of stonecarvers but the list of books left to his heirs documents a level of culture ununsual for a stoneworker.
At the sides of an extraordinary Library - alone sufficient to demonstrate the artistic stature of Pianta, such is the effect of the skilful realistic illusion of those antique bound volumes - the blindfold and chained Fury with gnashing teeth, in the words of Mario Praz, "inspires in his torment a grim dark beauty", while the Spy is almost a caricature, enveloped in his ample cloak and with his hat pulled down and partly covering his eyes.