Pietro Aretino

Pietro Aretino (US: /ˌɑːrɪˈtiːnoʊ, ˌær-/, Italian: [ˈpjɛːtro areˈtiːno]; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his time and an outspoken critic of the powerful. He gained prominence through his politically charged writings and biting satire, which targeted powerful figures, including monarchs and popes. His works spanned various genres, including poetry, drama, and religious commentary, but he is particularly noted for his lampoons and erotic literature. Owing to his communications and sympathies with religious reformers, he is considered to have been a Nicodemite Protestant. Aretino was a good friend and publicist of the Venetian artist Titian, who painted his portrait three times. Aretino is also remembered for an exchange of letters he had with Michelangelo concerning the latter's fresco The Last Judgment. Aretino was a key figure in 16th-century Italian cultural and literary circles, earning both admiration and condemnation for his fearless critique of authority. His relationship with leading artists and his role as an adviser to rulers cemented his reputation as a formidable intellectual and social commentator.