Emperor Charles V at Mühlberg, Titian, 1548, oil on canvas, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain.
Tiziano Vecellio (known as Titian in English speaking countries) was able to capture a subject’s “ideal” persona when he painted them. Giorgio Vasari said “there was almost no famous lard, nor prince, nor great woman, who was not painted by Titian.” One must wonder then, if Titian painted to please his patrons, or if he painted to accurately depict them. Based on historical evidence of those Titian portrayed other than the paintings themselves, I will discover if Titian’s paintings were accurate displays of the character of his subjects, or if they were simply masterpieces whose accuracy was altered just to please his patrons.
Titian was a famous artist during the Italian High Renaissance. He was known at the time for his use of color and his ability to recreate textures in his paintings. He got his training in Venice and became an independent artist around 1508. He befriended author Pietro Aretino, who would acquire many commissions for the artist.
Titian was not afraid to depict his subjects as they truly were, no matter how powerful they were. His depictions of Pope Paul III portray the Pope as a conniving man, who seems to revel in having so much power. Phillips writes “During his visit to Rome Titian apparently got to know his hosts, the Farnese, rather well; at least the evidence of this unfinished group portrait of the pope and his grandsons would seem to indicate that the painter was intimately aware of the political dissension and scheming that divided the family”. He continues with “More accurately than a mirror, his portrait of Pope Paul III shows us one of the most powerful men of that age, and depicts him as the wily, suspicious, and consummately political figure that he was.”
Titian depicted others as well. He depicts King Charles V as a proud soldier after winning a battle, but ignores suggestions to glorify him due to the feat that he accomplished in the battle. The Duke of Urbino is depicted as the condottiere he was, but also as the man who was past his prime. The Duke passed away shortly after the portrait was finished. He depicted Charles V’s son Philip II as he was, and Philip was so displeased that he wrote a letter to his aunt about how poor it was.
Tiziano Vecellio accurately depicted his subjects’ character, persona, and physical attributes accurately. He did not allow the power of his subjects and patrons alter his depictions of them. As Philips wrote “Titian was a painter whose purpose ultimately served not his patrons but art itself.”
Response Prompts – Do #1 and any combination of the others:
1. 1. Was there anything in my summary or presentation that was unclear or that should be expanded on?
2. 2. Is it legitimate to say, with the amount of information known, to say whether or not Titian accurately depicted the character of his subjects?
3. 3. Do you believe Titian accurately depicted the character of his subjects?
4. 4. On any picture posted above, write about the first impression you get of the character in the portrait.
I found the summary about Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) be interesting and insightful, and Titian’s portraiture of the important political figures during his time to be intricate and daring. I admire his willingness to portray high-stature political figures as they were, with no glamorization or false depictions, despite the pressure that he may have felt to solely please his subjects and the public. I would, however, like to know a bit more about Titian’s early life and what could have particularly inspired him to become a renowned painter of the rich and powerful. What experiences in his early years of training in Venice could have influenced him to not hold back in portraying his subjects’ true nature and appearance? Did he look to a previous renaissance artist as an inspiration for his ideas or his style of portraiture?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Titian was accurate in his depictions of the respected political figures of his time. Titian saw people as they were, and he did not try to make even the most heroic of figures appear to be more glorifiable than they really looked, like in the case of his portrait of King Charles V after his heroic win in a battle. He did not allow himself to conform to other people’s suggestions to make the king appear more laudable and gallant than he actually looked. Perhaps Titian did this, because he truly wanted to give the viewers of his paintings an accurate representation of the subject that he was painting.
On the other hand, maybe Titian wanted to give the viewers a look into the actual souls of the figures that he was painting; he could have been trying to emphasize the importance of reading someone’s soul before superficially judging them by their outward appearance. This especially could have been true, as many people looked up to political and religious figures and did not consider any of these public figures to be possibly corrupted. One can literally “read” the anxiety and uncomfortable feelings that Pope Paul III is clearly expressing by his body language in Titian’s 1543 Pope Paul III without a Cap. In the example of Titian’s painting of Philip II, Charles V’s son, the viewer can immediately tell that Philip is arrogant and noticeably stiff in the picture.
When I observed Titian’s painting, Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, I saw a man that has been hardened by wartime and life of fighting and battling the enemy. He appears noble and brave and willing to fight for his country, while he also expresses the feelings of frustration and weariness that come along with the life of a fighter. He appears, and is likely proud of the feats he has accomplished, and he looks like he has a respectable rank. However, his facial expression is the aspect of the portrait that stands out to me the most. With his tired, perturbed eyes, he has likely seen a lot of traumatic events in his lifetime, and that takes a heavy toll on any person. Indeed Titian was a master at conveying the inner feelings and character of even the most respected, powerful, and well-known figures of the renaissance period.
The presentation on Tiziano Vecellio or Titian could have expanded on the argument that some feel that Titian painted his subjects to please them. There was little evaluation on this point even though it was the counter argument to the main thesis of the presentation. To have some example of a counter argument would make the overall thesis of the presentation much stronger. Some examples of scholar’s quotes or paintings where this fact is exemplified could be used to oppose the numerous examples of Titian’s real manner of painting, depicting true character regardless of stature or commission.
ReplyDeleteThe Duke of Urbino is a prime example of Titian’s true depictions. In the painting, a man in full armor stares at the viewer. His armor reflects the light and has many embellishments suggesting a high status and a heroic man. His hand is on his sword, ready for battle, and is other arm is perched confidently on a scabbard resting against his hip. There is a subtle confidence in his body language, one not afraid of any man or thing that may be on the horizon. His helmet has a white dragon on the top. It warns his opponent of the impending doom that must have accompanied his presence. The backdrop is of red velvet, the color of blood, of victory, and of loyalty. All of these attributes appear to fit the man in the armor, at least, the man one would expect. When the man’s face is explored as equally as the surroundings of the painting, there is a major discrepancy. The Duke’s face seems hallow. There are dark circles under his eyes. The subtle confidence from his body seems stunted by his beard for it is not present in his eyes. There is a crease in between his eye brows showing the years of battle and some sort of stubbornness, unrelenting to the downfall that must come to all. The man expected to fill the grandiose suite of armor is nowhere to be found, only a self defeated person in his place.
The eyes of The Duke of Urbino let the viewer penetrate much farther into his character then where his tough armor covers. The only exposed part of his body, his face, is the only thing necessary to show the true nature of the man concealed. These people who were concealed, the Italian nobility that is, could cover up as much of themselves as possible with armor, luxurious clothing, or a false demeanor, but Titian would still find and expose their real nature. It was with this power that Titian could accurately depict the character of his subjects regardless of their standing in society. Titian accomplished something unique to his time period. Most commissioned painters of the time would not dare to expose the flaws of nobility and even such people as the Pope, but Titian painted to express the art of the subject, not the art of the politics of the time. With this brave endeavor, Titian allowed for his works to be remembered while others were forgotten.
1. You did a wonderful job of researching and analyzing Titian’s art and the purpose behind it. I could follow all of your points and observations of the discussed paintings. In that sense, you had a very strong presentation. However, you seemed to lack a little bit when talking about Titian himself. I would have enjoyed learning more about the artist’s life. Now, this may be due to my inclination rather than your presentation. I have absolutely no background in art and so am quite curious about who the artists were and what they experienced throughout their lives. If you expanded upon Titian as a person (maybe his formative childhood/youth experiences and more about his life during the years when he painted), I think that your research paper would be very strong indeed.
ReplyDelete2. Given the information provided by your presentation, it seems legitimate to claim that Titian accurately depicted the character of his subjects. With each example that you provided, the true character of the person was known. Yet, I wonder about other portraits that he painted. Did you have to search for paintings where the subject’s nature was known? Most of Titian’s work was of the rich and famous, so it would follow that we are more likely to know about their character today. Did you find some paintings where the subjects’ characters were unknown? I’d be curious to know if the portrayed characters fit the positions for these “unknown” people. Therein may lay some indication of character portrayal to strengthen your argument by attacking different aspects. I’m not certain that any person can ever answer the question of what the artist intended. After all, even history can lie. We are provided only a glimpse through the perception of those who lived during any given time period and are therefore subject to the same prejudices present in that person or society.
3. I do believe that Titian accurately depicted the character of his subjects, but that is of little value at the moment. I would need to know more, and from more sources, about the characters of his subjects before my opinion would hold much value.
Pope Paul III without a Cap, Titian, 1543, oil on canvas, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.
4. At first glance, I see an old man hunching over in his chair. His posture seems almost sad with his head hanging and eyes studying the floor. His left hand grips the arm as though it will aid him in controlling his emotions. In his lap, the right hand seems to be digging into his leg. Sometimes physical pain helps to distract someone from emotional suffering. Could he be suffering in this picture?
Then I look at this painting again. At first glance, his eyes seem downcast. Yet, that isn’t so. He is actually looking straight at the viewer from under his bushy eyebrows. The right eyebrow is cocked ever so slightly. In the midst of his sadness, this man is challenging the viewer or possibly mocking them. He could be stooped from old age rather than sorrow. Each time that I look at this painting, I see a different message. Pope Paul III, “the most pious of men”, portrays a façade to those around him.
1. Personally, I think you did an excellent job in the presentation and the summary. It seemed very well researched and thought out. It kept my attention and made me want to listen to you. The only thing I can say that I would like to know more about is Titian’s life. You talked a lot about his work and analyzed his paintings, but I think your analysis on his life could have been expanded upon. Perhaps this was because he lived so long ago that there is not much information known about his life other than what is present in his paintings. Whatever the case, I think you did a fantastic job and should receive a good grade for your work.
ReplyDelete3. I do believe Titian accurately depicted the character of his subjects. It seems that if he were just trying to please his subjects, he would depict them in the most flattering light possible. He obviously did not do this. For example, in his portrait of Pope Paul III
(without a cap), the pope looks very conniving and angry. His hands are tense, and his left hand is clenching the arm of his chair. His eyes are demanding, and he looks as if he is expecting something of the viewer. All in all, he looks more like a king or some kind of tyrant than a prominent religious figure. When I think of a pope, I think of an old, relaxed, gentle man with kind eyes and a loving smile. When I look at Titian’s portrait of Pope Paul III, I see an old, impatient man with a crazed look in his eyes. It seems to me that this is not the most flattering way that Titian could have depicted the pope, so I think it is logical to assume that Titian was trying to paint Pope Paul III’s character in the most accurate way possible. Another example of this can be seen in Titian’s portrait entitled, Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Urbino. The real Francesco Maria de la Rovere was a proud warrior. However, as time went by, Francesco, like all people, warriors or not, began to age. No longer was he able to fight like he once could. Titian depicts Francesco Maria de la Rovere accurately and does not attempt to flatter him. In his portrait, Francesco is dressed in his battle armor. He seems very comfortable in it, as a long-time warrior would. However, one feature of Francesco that Titian includes is his age. He does not attempt to mask the fact that Francesco is getting tired and is not the soldier he once was. More than anything, it is Francesco’s eyes that tell the tale of his aging. Titian gives him eyes that, although they might not look the best, depict Francesco accurately. They look tired and are wrinkled. A third example Titian’s accuracy versus flattery is in his portrait entitled, Emperor Charles V at Mühlberg. Francesco portrays the Emperor as a mighty warrior, who is mounted on his horse and carrying a spear. However, one physical feature that Titian included in his work was Charles V’s protruding lower jaw, which was an unsightly birth defect. It was not essential to include this in the portrait, but Titian did anyway just to be as accurate as possible. In my opinion, by examining the three portraits mentioned above, you can conclude that Titian favored painting accuracy over flattery.