TITIAN SELF PORTRAIT

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Titian (Portrait of Himself)

Titian is a high renaissance Italian painter that is famed for his paintings that dominated the 1560’s. As a painter, Titian gained fame for a self-portrait that he did on an oil canvas in his sunset years. This painting differs markedly from an earlier self portrait that he did in earlier years. In this particular portrait, the painter depicts himself as an old tired man. The portrait does not show the self-confident side of the painter that predominate his earlier works (Loh, 2007). This particular painting depicts Titian as an old bored fellow, staring into some distant place, looking lost in his thoughts.

Aside from gaining fame on the two self portraits, Titian also made other notable paintings that include the paintings of sacred and profane love, assumption of the virgin, Pasero Madonna, Bacchus and Ariadne, Pierto Aretino, the Venus of Urbino among other paintings. Titian was famed among his contemporaries as a master genius in painting. He was thus given the undisputed title of the Venetian Master of Color. This name resulted from his mastery paintings that fully utilized color. His use of brushwork earned him fame in Venice as he executed classical artworks of both portraits and landscapes (Classen, 2007).

The works by Titian are considered masterpieces and have been reviewed variously by different authorities notable among them being Harrt. He sees this painting as discriminatory to the female beauty and at the same time a piece that praises the very beauty it discriminates. The appreciation of Titan to this painting makes him both the owner of the 0painting and the women depicted therein. This painting corresponds to the works of art of the classical period where each piece of artwork covered a specific subject position (Classen, 2007). The interpretations for Titian’s works are both contingent and partial. Titan uses resources pictorial representations that enable him to fashion images that are both exquisite and original. To clearly understand the works of Titian, one must carefully study how the artist used color in his paintings. The use of color in the painting ensures that the forms are well placed in the paintings.

Another masterpiece produced by Titian, the Rape of Europa was not so glorious. This piece was painted off showing a white bull, a disguise of Jupiter, carrying and overpowering the distraught Europa. This piece combines the elements of unconscious grace, abandon and surprise. The piece also shows cupid floating on a dolphin. Other authorities have also written on Titian’s wok. For instance, Titian’s Venus of Urbino presents an archetypal illustration of the female nude in the Renaissance culture. This painting represents construction of gender in the renaissance. Titan’s Venus of Urbino can be paralleled with Michelangelo’s portrait of David. Nudity was an overrunning theme in the renaissance period. However, the works of Michelangelo and Titian revealed that the male and female nudity is not treated in equal terms; these works show the social construction of the various gender roles of that period (Eaton, 2003).

The pictures painted by Titian bear the description of women made by men. The female in the picture is shown naked. The obfuscations portrayed in this painting are extraordinary with aesthetic evaluation of color, form composition and handling which clearly defines the portraits of this caliber. The paintings made by Titian also repress the feelings that are often invoked by such paintings. The painter’s intention is quiet vague; we cannot conclusively say that the pictures such as the portrait of the Venus of Urbino (Phillips, 2008).

The works of Titian illustrated some unique perspective and sensitivity. This works gained him fame among the contemporaries of his time. He is regarded as the finest painter for his mastery in the use of different layers and shades of paint to create paintings that had lasting effects. His works depicts a dynamic and energetic painting that captivates the attention of its viewers. Secondly, Titian’s work also uses. Chiaroscuro is a method that applies the value of a 2 dimensional piece of art to fashion a 3D solid form. The Titian’s Gypsy Madonna portrays the use of Chiaroscuro. The rich color harmonies depicted by this painting shows a magnificent use of chiaroscuro. His use of golden puffy sleeves creates `a 3D effect. The artist uses strong contrast of colors that allow the utilization of light and dark. Ordinarily, chiaroscuro allows the artist to use shades, tones, highlights and shades to form a 3D illusion on a 2D material. The media used by Titian is canvas and habitually this media is two dimensional (Phillips, 2008). The painter used the chiaroscuro to form paintings that appear three dimensional. The works by Titian also show some sense of symbolism. The religious symbolism represented by his paintings raises the bar on the standards for altarpieces used in the religious circles.

Psychomachia depicts the struggle that subsists between faith, and cardinal virtues against idolatry and corresponding vices. Titian uses psychomachia in the depictions of images, elements and subjects in his painting. The faith struggle happens between the Christian and Catholic faiths in Venice. Titian gave his Christian paintings heroism of some sort and unparalleled sensuality. Titian’s great success emanates from his ability to capture his representations vividly without distorting either the psychological or the physical form of the personage and emphasizes both aspects in equal intensity. The painter’s capability as an historian of his time helps him pass across the message he has.

Titian’s paintings also attempts to correlate and distinguish the symbolism and depiction explained by Aristotle’s theories of dramatic art, platonic love and psychomachia. Aristotle theorized that art had a unique ability of mimicking nature. Aristotle argues that art originates from man’s desire to imitate. The use of color and themes in paintings voices out the imitation of nature as embodied by the artist concerned. Aristotle’s theory on art helps in classification and evaluation of various artworks.

The use paintings depicting Titian’s women shows a connection in Renaissance art theory which distinguishes between colore and disegno (color and design). The mix between these two elements creates a dichotomy of matter and form. The confrontation of color and design engenders a discourse that portrays the universe. According to Aristotle’s earlier assertions, everything in the universe comprises matter and form. In this regard matter is feminine and it is inferior to the soul which represents the masculine form (Aristotle et al, 1997).

The works of Titian use elements that have been tempered by Aristotelian naturalism and are less mystical in nature. These works also fit perfectly into Gloria duplex and soul making in the sense that it embodies different aspects which fits nicely in his artwork. This is a beautiful embodiment of an artwork that is unique and explains the accolades showered on the master painter of Venice (Aristotle et al, 1997).

Reference

Loh, M. H. (2007). Titian remade: Repetition and the transformation of early modern Italian art. Los Angeles, Calif: Getty Museum.

Classen, A. (2007). Old age in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: Interdisciplinary approaches to a neglected topic. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.

Phillips, C. (2008). Titian. New York: Parkstone Press International.

Eaton, A. W. (2003). Where Ethics and Aesthetics Meet: Titianʼs Rape of Europa. Hypatia, 18(4), 159-188. Indiana University Press.

Aristotle, Whalley, G., Baxter, J., & Atherton, P. (1997). Aristotle's Poetics. Montreal [Que.: McGill-Queen's University Press.