Art historian Augusto Gentili, a Tiziano specialist, dies at 82

Augusto Gentili, the Italian art historian renowned for his multidisciplinary studies of Venetian Renaissance painting—particularly Tiziano—died on January 18, 2026, at age 82. Born in 1943, he earned his degree under Maurizio Bonicatti, then taught at La Sapienza University of Rome (1983–1997) and Ca' Foscari University of Venice (1998–2013). His research focused on contextual iconology, integrating literature, religion, and philosophy. He authored major works on Vittore Carpaccio, Lorenzo Lotto, and Tiziano, including the monographs "Tiziano" (2012) and "Tiziano. La sensualità del colore" (2023). In the early 1990s he founded the semiannual journal "Venezia '500" (50 issues, 1991–2015). His final book, "Ritratti al dettaglio. Venezia e dintorni, 1500-1575" (2025), examines Renaissance portraiture. His latest contribution appears in the catalogue of the exhibition "Il non finito: fra poetica e tecnica esecutiva" (Rome, 2026) at the Pinacoteca Capitolina. Gentili described his teaching as a "garden of conversations," fostering open critical debate.