The San Francisco call., 1899-10-17

that of the new age and his fellowship
with the young men waiting, like himself,
for a leader TO appear. Such a leader came
in Giorgione, the sensuous poet-painter,
the dreamer Of idyls; no older that Titan,
but with that spark of intuition. of
genius, which he lacked. The two young
men became close associates under Gior-
giOnes material as well as ideal guild
ance. It is at times as difficult to dis
tingutsh the contemporary works Of these
Two young artists as those of the famous
Greek sculptors, Scopas and Praxiteles,
so deeply had Titan become impregnated
from the stronger spirit. The association
lasted until Giorgione's death: the artistic
dependence never quite ended.
Titan was slow in attaining fame Not
until his Goth year, in 1907, when he as
sisted Giorgione in decorating the palace
called Fondaco del Tedeschi. does he seem
TO have acquired an independent reputa-
ton. On GiOrgiOnes premature death, in
1910. Titan completed a number of his
friends unfinished pictures. Almost i'm
mediately he received his first important
Independent commission, for a series of
sixteen frescoes in the Scuola del Santo
at Padua. He failed to show in them any
special proficiency in the style of grand
composition.
All Titians works up TO about 1905 are
religious subjects not varying fundament-
ally from the Bellini and Gina type
but. soon after, Titan, under Giorgione's
guidance. entered the enchanted sphere Of
poetic allegory, where, unlike religious
art, there was no tradition to prevent
completely original treatment.
After his Paduan work Titan signalized
his return to Venice by superb st.
Mark Enthroned Among Saints" O512).
and then, aspiring to a more public recog-
milton of his position, he began, in 1913,
an attempt to dispossess Of his monopoly
the aged monarch Giovanni Bellni.
Titians appointment as state painter
helped TO procure him the favor of his
first great art patron, Alfonso d'Este,
Duke Of Ferrara, for whom he painted re-
ligiOus, allegorical and NEUROLOGICAL sub
Jects, as well as portraits, for many years.
The famous Christ and the Tribute
Money" in Dresden was painted for him.
Htians male portraits at this time still
had the gentle poetic melancholy Of
Giorgione, without the sensualitY that had
crept into his female figures. The bearded
man in Munich and especially the superb
Young Man with the Glove" Gouvre),
are the most exquisite of this class, the
most sympathetic Of all the masters por-
traits The famous Flora" CUfizD still
retains. with all its sensuousness, some of
the poetry OF the past.
Titan soon substituted for the Giorgi-
onesque repOse great vehemence Of action
and luxurianCe Of form. He shows it
in his Bacchanalan series for the Duke
Of Ferrara, especially in the superb "Bac-
chus and Ariadne" (National gallery. and
in his religious pictures, notably his great
altar piece in the Belle Arti, the As
sumption Of the Virgin" where action
runs riot. The rather theatrical tendency
Of these years Oj1S-30) is shown in his
painting, "St. Sebastian" Q522), which
Titan himself regarded al the time as his
masterpiece; 1t reached its climax in his
'Martyrdom Of ST. Peter Martyr" Q53O.
which was quite universally thought TO
be his greatest picture, and the first in
stance where the human figures were
made subordinate to the Landscape.
In 1923 Titan. secured a second noverf,,l
patron, FEDERICO Gonzaga. Duke of Man
tua, for whom he produced the mastery
"Entombment' Uouvre), the portraits Of
the Duke and Duchess, the sInerh
Bella" PittD and the Venus" of tbcI
Uflzi, working steadily for the Duke until
hts death in 1910. He increased bis noy-
ulaTity at home by the spectacular altar
piece at the Frari Q525), called the ma
donna di Casa Pesaro."
In 1927 a new period in Titian's life and /
art commenced through his association /
with the notorious Pietro Aretino the
most corrupt man Of corrupt age. and /
with all his high connections and wealth
the champion blackmailer Of history
During his stay in Venice he found |
Titians talents useful and so helped him |
10 the favor of various Italian potentates, |
and especially of Charles V Of Spain |
Titan was perniciously and permanently