Titian's Vision of Women

In Venice in the sixteenth century the female image acquired an importance perhaps never seen before in the history of painting.

The dominant role of female beauty in sixteenth-century Venice is unique both in the history of the Republic and other parts of the world. One reason for this is the Serenissima's distinctive political-social structure, which granted women special rights in connection with their dowry and their ability to inherit; another was Venice's pivotal role as an international cultural centre. The rise of influential publishing houses attracted renowned poets and humanists such as Pietro Bembo, Sperone Speroni and Lodovico Dolce, who in their writings increasingly focused on women and their vital role for the family and the continuation of humanity as such. One important factor was a firm belief in the power of love, which was credited both with strengthening marriage and ensuring handsome, clever and happy children. Thus, the appearance of a beloved and desired woman began to acquire greater importance.

The crucial impetus for the visual realisation of this idea came from the Serenissima's greatest artist: Titian. For him, artistic beauty was identical with female beauty. He was less interested in the canon of exterior beauty than in a women's character, in femininity as such, whose dignity he never eroded or diminished, regardless of context, narrative or representation. On the contrary, Titian elevates every depiction of a woman into a celebration of womanhood.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition in Vienna and Milan, the book aims to present the female image through the spectrum of possible themes and, at the same time, to compare individual artistic approaches between Titian and other painters of the time (Sebastiano del Piombo, Lotto, Palma il Vecchio, Paris Bordone, Veronese and Tintoretto). The reader will experience the various aspects of female idealisation: from realistic portraits to increasingly poetic variations, in which we can trace more and more the theme of love and desire, which is ultimately exalted as history, myth and allegories. Portraits of famous poets singing of love and female beauty, as well as their books will also be included. The reader will also look at the clothes and coiffures sported by sitters in both real and ideal portraits, and discuss contemporary fashion with its predilection for sumptuous fabrics and costly jewels and pearls.