In 1500 Venice was the foremost maritime power of Europe, with a large trading empire in the eastern Mediterranean and extensive mainland territories. The city's wealth and stability allowed artistic creativity to flourish. Giovanni Bellini, the father of Venetian High Renaissance painting, taught several major artists including Giorgione and Titian. These artists revolutionised artistic practice, exploring the potential of oil paint and creating new poetic subjects.

After Giorgione's early death, Titian became the pre-eminent Venetian painter, commanding an international clientele. Later a younger generation including Tintoretto and Veronese dominated the Venetian scene and ran successful family workshops. Although based in his native Bassano del Grappa, Jacopo Bassano attracted patrons from Venice, and his biblical subjects vividly depicted the rural life around him. Lorenzo Lotto was born in Venice but his distinctive style reflects the fact that he travelled frequently in northern Italy.