How did later critics respond differently to Tintoretto’s art?

The critical reception of Tintoretto’s art has shifted significantly over the centuries, reflecting changing aesthetic values:

• Post-Death and 17th Century: Tintoretto’s work was highly regarded in Venice following his death. The 17th-century critic Marco Boschini provided acute evaluations of his work, and Roger de Piles later praised his unique use of light, or "luministic idiom".1
• 18th Century: As critics moved toward the rationality associated with Neoclassicism, Tintoretto’s style was increasingly viewed as excessive and disconnected from the sensibilities of that era.1
• 19th Century and Beyond: John Ruskin initiated a shift in perspective through his Romantic enthusiasm for the artist. In contemporary art historiography, Tintoretto is recognized as a preeminent representative of Mannerism, interpreted through the lens of the Venetian tradition.1