FREE ESSAY ON TITIAN

TITIAN

Titian
No one knows exactly when the Italian artist, Tiziano Vecellio, was born. Over the
centuries, there has been a great deal of confusion concerning the date, due to a
misprint in his biography by sixteenth century art historian, Girgio Vasari. Vasari
recorded the date as 1480, but the progress of Tiziano Vecellio's work, as well as other
documented sources, announce his date of birth to be sometime between 1488 and 1490.
(Magill 2310) The place of his birth was Pieve de Cadore, in the Alps north of Venice.
Tiziano Vecellio, also known as Titian, was a great master of religious art, a
portraitist, and the creator of mythological compositions, which have been so decorative
and inventive that no other artist has yet surpassed them. People such as his wife,
Cecilia, Giovanni Bellini, and the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, influenced Titian.
(Magill 2311) Titian is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Italian High
Renaissance. Titian developed an oil-painting technique during his time as an artist of
successive glazes and broad paint application that influenced many generations of artists
to follow along with his other various important accomplishments. 
Titian had many accomplishments in his lifetime. In 1518, Titian's Assumption of the
Virgin was shown at the Church of the Frari in Venice. It was in this composition that
Titian seemed suddenly to absorb the achievements of the Roman High Renaissance style. At
the time, it was learned that Titan had not traveled much, and therefore assumed that he
squired this knowledge of art by visiting artists, studying their drawings and
reproductive engravings. During the decades following his appearance in the art life,
Titian's reproductions placed him along with Michelangelo, as the most powerful artist in
Europe. He was recognized for his mythical paintings, three of which he created for
Alfonso I d'Este of Ferrara, called The Bacchanal of the Andrians, The Worship of Venus,
and Baahus and Ariadne. Among his many patrons, the most important were the Spanish
Habsburgs. Titian's fame, wealth, and social position resulted from his patrons and
admirers. His major artistic inhibitions included being especially creative with diagonal
placing and perspectives, as well as setting up unusual spectator viewpoints. Among his
most famous works, rests the picture known as The Gypsy Madonna. This picture is a
variation of the half-length Madonna and Child popular with Giovanni Bellini. Although,
Titian moves all the major forms off center and encouraged the viewer to look diagonally
into a landscape to the left of the Madonna. Over the years, Titian continued to develop
his individual style. He used color and light to define his forms instead of lines.
(Magill 2310)
A turning point for Titian was when he returned home from Rome in June of 1546. He had
the opportunity to see first hand the places that Michalangleo and Raphael had seen and
created their artwork from. ("Encyclopedia of World Biography" 242-243) He therefore
produced his own masterpieces during his stay in Rome. Paul III and His Grandsons was a
presentation of a dramatic encounter between the aged pope and his conniving grandsons.
This work is one of the most psychologically showing works of the time. ("Encyclopedia of
World Biography" 242-243) When Titian arrived back in Venice, he created the Christ
Crowned with Thorns, which was an interpretation of an encounter he had in Rome. He
created various masterpieces throughout his experiences, which are still widely known
today.
Titian set out with his elder brother, Francesco, at the age of nine to study in the
workshop of Sebastiano Zuccati, and then soon began to study painting with Givanni
Bellini. It is with Giovanni that Titian learned his current Venetian style and
techniques. Titian met a painter by the name of Giorgione. Titian began to work for
Giorgione for the German Commercial Headquarters in Venice. This man was significant in
Titian's life because of the great influence he placed on Titian's style of work. The
similarities between the two artists is so nominal that scholars have had trouble telling
their work apart on unsigned paintings. Among others who influenced Titian's career, are
the Spanish Habsburgs, as mentioned previously. He had close relationships with Charles
V, Francis I, Alfonso and Isabella d'Este, the Houses of Ferrara and Urbino, which made
him the first of the princely painters of the Renaissance and the one whose position was
most international and well known over all others. Charles V was by far one of his
greatest admirers. Charles V made Titian a count and had him brought to Augsburg two
times as court painter. Charles' son, Philip II continued the bond with Titian after his
father's death in 1558. The fact that these people brought Titian fame and wealth is not
even the least of it, but they brought him a great social position as well.
("Encyclopedia of World Biography" 242-243)
One woman, Cecilia, began a relationship with Titian in the early 1520's, with whom he
had two children with before they married, and two after they married in 1525.
Unfortunately, Cecilia passed away in 1530, just five years after they were wed. (Magill
2311)
The work of Titian holds great influence on the world of art, even today. During the
latter years of his life, Titian strove inexhaustibly to try to capture feelings that
were ever-changing. Every time he would create a new impression, he would see another
element of beauty to either add or alter in the piece of work. The air of distress and
sadness that rested on Titian with these efforts are shown in the succeeding works of his
lifetime. It is thought that this aura of sorrow is capable of moving a person so much
that a sadness like this is only found in Rembrandt's last portraits, and no other
accomplished artists'. Titian's work is significant for this effect of inspiring and
stirring emotion in even the tamest heart. ("Encyclopedia of World Biography" 242-243)
Titian's style of art, and his masterful techniques with religious art, mythical
compositions, and successive glazes have never been surpassed. They influence generations
of artists to come, and will continue to do so as long as his work is studied. His place
in the Italian High Renaissance will never be overlooked. 
Titian's health, inherited from his mountain race, along with his tendencies toward
order, balance, and determination, defined the dominant characteristics of the art that
he created. He is credited for his being capable of expressing beauty which springs from
the deepest happiness of life, and granted his art with that sort of expression. His art
was important and has influenced artists after him. He is considered to be a magnificent
creator of beauty, which is a well-suited consideration.