Biography of Titian
TITIAN, OR TIZIANO, VECELLI, the head of the Venetian
school, and one of the greatest painters that ever
lived, was born of a good family, at Capo del Cadore, in
the Frulian Alps, in the year 1477, or according to some
in 1480. His predilection for drawing caused his father
to send him to Venice at the age of ten, that he might
learn to be a painter. His instructors were Sebastiano
Zuccati, and the two Bellinis, particulary Giovanni; but
the painter that exercised the greatest influence on his
style, was Giorgione. So vivid and keen was his
appreciation of any artist's work, that he never failed
to reproduce them with striking fidelity, and even to
leave the impression that he had beaten the master whom
he imitated, in his own style. It was owing to this
irrepressible superiority, that the friendship between
Giorgione and him was interrupted.
The first work that brought Titian prominently into
notice was his completion of the "Homage of Frederick
Barbarossa to Pope Alexander III." (1512), begun by
Giovanni Bellini, but left unfinished by that artist at
his death. The Venetian Senate, which had commissioned
the piece, was so pleased with Titian's performance,
that it conferred on him an annual salary of 300 crowns.
In 1514, he painted "Bacchus and Ariadne," and other
works of a similar kind, for the Duke of Ferrara, a
portrait of the Duke himself and the lady who afterwards
became his wife, besides a picture of the "Tribute
Money." While residing at the court of Ferrara, he made
the acquaintance ot the poet Ariosta, who sat to him for
his portrait. On his return to Venice he painted an
"Assumption of the Virgin," one of his grandest
achievements. His reputation now rapidly rose. Pope Leo
X and Raphael both invited him to Rome, and Francis I to
France; but he declined. In 1532, he appears to have
accompanied Charles to Spain, where he remained for
three years, and painted several of his masterpieces,
now found in that country. A complete catalogue of
Titian's works does not exist, but the number known is
extraordinarily great - upwards of 600. Titian died of
the plague in 1576, having attained the extreme age of
99. As already observed, he had a tendency at first to
reproduce the style of acknowledged masters, but his
genius soon emancipated itself from all imitativeness,
and displayed a glorious originality and power. |