Titian - the greatest painter of sixteenth century Venice.
6, BACCHUS AND ARIADNE.
During his early thirties, Titian had established himself as the foremost artist of Venice and
he started receiving important commissions from noble patrons. Alfonso d’Este, the
Duke of Ferrara, commissioned the artist to produce a cycle of paintings on mythological
subjects for the Camerino d’Alabastro, a private room in the Duke’s palazzo in Ferrara,
which was already decorated with paintings based on classical texts. An advance payment
was given to Raphael, who originally held the commission for the subject of a Triumph
of Bacchus. However, Raphael died unexpectedly in 1520, when only a preliminary drawing was
completed and the commission was then handed to Titian. The series features four images:
Bacchus and Ariadne; The Feast of the Gods; The Bacchanal of the Andrians and The Worship
of Venus. Housed in London’s National Gallery, Bacchus
and Ariadne (1523) concerns events narrated by the Roman poets Catullus and Ovid. According
to the mythological tale, Ariadne has been deserted on the island of Naxos by her lover
Theseus, whose ship can be seen in the canvas sailing away to the far left. She is discovered
on the shore by the Bacchus, the god of wine, leading a procession of revellers in a chariot
drawn by two cheetahs, which were most likely modelled on animals in the Duke’s menagerie.
Bacchus is depicted in mid-air as he leaps out of the chariot to protect Ariadne from
his beasts. In the sky above the figure of Ariadne, the star constellation Corona Borealis
(Northern Crown) can be seen as a bridal gift. The composition is divided diagonally into
two triangles, one of a vivid blue sky, produced by the expensive ultramarine pigment, used
to showcase the two central lovers prominently. The other half of the painting presents a
riot of movement, fused with predominant tones of green and brown. Bacchus’ entourage is
a dramatic depiction of Bacchanalian frenzy. One drunk has fallen asleep in a drunken stupor,
while another carries a barrel. A frenzied reveller has torn apart a live cow and grips
its dismembered leg, while the head has been cast aside into the foreground. The composition’s
power is achieved by the frozen moment of time — a wild, drunken party suddenly stopped
for our enjoyment. The canvas was rolled up twice in the sixteenth
century, which led to disastrous consequences for the painting. From the turn of the nineteenth
century onwards, the painting has been frequently restored to stop paint from flaking off — the
last and most controversial restoration being carried out at the National Gallery between
1967 and 1968. When discoloured varnish lying directly on top of the paint surface was removed,
much of the paint itself came off and extensive repainting was necessary. This has caused
some critics to note that the expanse of blue sky on the left-hand side, one of the worst
affected areas of the painting, appears flat and pallid. Some believe the removal of the
varnish has left the painting tonally out of balance, since Titian is likely to have
added subtle glazes to the paint surface in order to tone down some of the more intense
colours. The National Gallery maintains that this was an unavoidable loss, as the accrued
layers of later varnish had turned the painting brown and ‘sludgy’ and so had to be removed.
7, MAN WITH A GLOVE.
Completed in 1520, this confident portrait, housed in the Louvre, originates from the
Gonzaga family’s collection at Mantua. It was acquired by Charles I of England in 1627
and, following his beheading in 1649, the painting was auctioned and bought by the French
banker Eberhard Jabach. Eventually, it came into the possession of Louis XIV of France
and was transferred from the Palace of Versailles to the Louvre in 1792.
The identity of the sitter has not been ascribed with certainty, though some believe he could
be Girolamo Adorno, mentioned in a 1527 letter from Pietro Aretino to Federico Gonzaga, or
Giambattista Malatesta, an agent of the Gonzaga in Venice. According to another hypothesis,
he could be Ferrante Gonzaga, who was sixteen years old in 1523.
The portrait portrays a three-quarters view of a male figure set against a flat black
background, acting as a foil to the fine colouration and depiction of skin tones of the young man.
The sitter appears to be looking at an indefinite point to the left of the canvas, with his
left arm on his knee. He is dressed in a wide jacket and a white shirt, in the fashionable
style of the period. The man’s gloved left hand holds a second leather glove — an accessory
used by the most refined gentlemen of the time. His right hand is adorned with a golden
ring, a symbol of his wealth, and he also wears a necklace decorated with a sapphire
and a pearl. The simplicity of the painting and its remarkable capturing of personality
have established its fame among fellow artists, with such celebrated figures as Peter Paul
Rubens and Sir Joshua Reynolds influenced by the portrait.
8, MADONNA DI CA’ PESARO.
Commissioned by Jacopo Pesaro, whose family acquired the chapel in the Frari Basilica
of Venice in 1518, this famous altarpiece remains in its original setting till this
day. Jacopo was Bishop of Paphos, in Cyprus, and had been named commander of the papal
fleet by the Borgia Pope, Alexander VI. In the composition, Titian represents his patron
in a devotional pose, kneeling before the Virgin, having been presented by Saint Peter.
Prominently displayed on the step is Saint Peter’s key; its diagonal plane, leading
toward the Virgin, providing a parallel to Jacopo. The Virgin’s position at the top
of the steps alludes to her celestial role as Madonna della Scala (Madonna of the Stairs)
and as the Stairway to Heaven. Titian actually used his wife, who died in childbirth soon
after, as the model for the Virgin Mary in this work.
The large red banner to the far left prominently displays the papal arms in the centre with
those of Jacopo below. Olive leaves, as a symbol of peace, can also be seen. An unidentified
knight holds two prisoners in tow: a turbaned Turk and a Moor, probably a reference to Jacopo’s
victory over the Turks in 1502. To the right of the image, Saint Francis of Assisi links
the five kneeling Pesaro family members to Christ, suggesting that through his own route
of identification with Christ salvation can be achieved.
The altarpiece is celebrated for its use of perspective, as the figures and architectural
structures are tilted on an axis, using diagonal planes. The steps, surmounted by large columns,
appearing to endlessly run up to the heavens, are thrust diagonally back into space. Infant
angels appear on the cloud above, holding the Cross. The rear view of one angel is juxtaposed
with the front view of the infant Christ, who turns playfully on Mary’s lap. The fabrics
are characteristically rich and textured, giving Titian full scope for what was becoming
his renowned use of colour. This attention to material textures is further enhanced by
the variation of bright lights and dark accents in the sky. The light of Venice, sparkling
in its waterways, assuredly influenced the painting’s colours.
9, PORTRAIT OF CHARLES V WITH A DOG.
This portrait of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, accompanied with a hunting dog, was
completed in 1533. It is a copy or reinterpretation of a portrait of the emperor painted the year
before by Jakob Seisenegger. The original portrait was naturally depicted, but had not
pleased its subject and so during a stay in Bologna in 1533, when Titian was visiting
the city, Charles paid the artist 500 ducats to paint a new version.
Although Titian’s interpretation is similar to its predecessor, the second work transforms
the composition, stylising Charles’ body by increasing the size of the fur wrap, while
limiting the size of the doublet and raising the position of the eyes. Titian also lowers
the horizon to create the impression that the emperor dominates the space. As Charles
appears to approach the viewer, the space surrounding him has been emptied and simplified,
with warmer and darker colours than in Seisenegger’s original.
Titian’s version was to later inspire Goya’s Charles IV in his Hunting Clothes (1799).
Eventually the portrait passed from Charles to the Spanish royal collection, from which
it passed into the present collection in Madrid’s Prado.
10, VENUS OF URBINO.
One of the artist’s most enduring images, the Venus of Urbino was completed in 1538
and presents a nude young woman, identified as the goddess Venus, reclining on a couch
or bed in the sumptuous surroundings of a Renaissance palace. Now housed in Florence’s
Uffizi, the famous painting owes a great deal to Giorgione’s Sleeping Venus (c. 1510),
as demonstrated by the similar poses of the female figures. In his depiction, Titian domesticates
Venus by moving her to an indoor setting, making her sensuality explicit and allowing
us to engage with her directly. She is illustrated without any of the typical attributes of the
goddess usually employed by artists and the image triggers an unapologetically erotic
charge. As Venus stares straight towards the viewer, unconcerned with her nudity, she grips
in her right hand a posy of roses (representing the pleasure and constancy of love), while
seductively covering her genitals with the other hand. In the near background, a dog
is nestled into a ball asleep, serving as a symbol of fidelity.
The Venus of Urbino was commissioned by Guidobaldo II della Rovere, the Duke of Urbino, most
likely to celebrate his marriage in 1534. Originally, the painting would have decorated
a cassone, a chest given as a wedding present in Italy at the time. The maids depicted in
the right background can be seen looking in a similar chest, apparently in search of Venus’
clothes. Intriguingly, given its overtly erotic content, the painting was intended as an instructive
“model” for Giulia Varano, the Duke’s child bride. The servants in the background
provide examples of how to keep an effective household, encouraging Giulia to be a dutiful
wife. The model for the painting has been identified as Angela del Moro, a highly paid
courtesan in Venice and a known dining companion of Titian.