Titian's Allegory of Marriage

This book offers nine new approaches toward a single work of art, Titians Allegory of Marriage or Allegory of Alfonso dAvalos, dated to 1530/5. In earlier references, the painting was named simply Allegory, alluding to its enigmatic nature. The work follows in a tradition of such ambiguous Venetian paintings as Giovanni Bellinis Sacred Allegory and Giorgiones Tempest. Throughout the years, Titians Allegory has engendered a range of diverse interpretations. Art historians such as Hans Tietze, Erwin Panofsky, Walter Friedlaender, and Louis Hourticq, to mention only a few, promoted various explanations. This book offers novel approaches and suggests new meanings toward a further understanding of this somewhat abstruse painting.