The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-17
d525) called the Madonna di Casa

Q525) called the Madonna di Casa
| Pesaro''
| In 1927 a new period in Titian's life
and art commenced through his asso-
citation with the notorious Pietro
Aretino, the most corrupt man of a
corrupt age, and with all his high con-
nections and wealth the champion
blacknlailer of history. During his
stay in Venice he found Titian's talents
useful and so helped him to the favor
| of various Italian potentates, and es-
pecially of Charles V. of Spain. Titan
was peTniciously and permanently aft
fected by Aretino in his art and char
acter, learning to fawn on the great
and to worship money in a way I'm
worthy of the dignity of a. great artist,
and learning especially to prostitute his
art.
Ten years after the "St. Peter
Martyr Titan produced another great
religious picture, the Presentation of
the Virgin in the Temple" which in it's
harmonious and spectacular compost
ton served with the 'Ecce Homo" as
model to other Venetian masters,
such as Tintoretto, and was never sur
passed by them. The princely house
of Farnese succeeded (1542) the Con
zagas as Titian's patrons, and as Pope
Paul III. was a Farnese, Titan was
thus for the first time brought into
close connection with the papal court
The painter finally, when nearly 20
years old. Travelled beyond the limits of
northern Italy and went to Rome. There
he met the Titan, Michelangelo. The
two artists represented not merely an
artistic opposition-of design versus
color-but an opposition of character
Michelangelo was typically strong, in
dependent, puritanic; Titan was sup
pie, fawning, luxurious There could
be no sympathy or understanding.
From the earlier Florentine masters
with whom Titan then became a little
better acquainted, he received some
thing; at least, it appears as if YER
rocchio were not foreign to his John
the Baptist" (Venice) nor Raphael to
his ceiling picture of Wisdom Is
Adam and Eve" (Madrid), all of which
he painted after his visit to Rome and
Florence.
Not long after Titan made an even
greater journey, to the court of Charles
V. at Augsburg, where he painted one
of his most consummate masterpieces,
the equestrian portrait of Charles Y.
at the Battle of Muhlberg" (Madrid).
Titan had now for several years reach
ed the summit of his ambitions. He
was the favorite of popes and EN-
porors and feared no rival Yet he
never ceased from nagging for money
and from sending unordered pictures
in hopes of being well paid. After the
death of Charles Y. Titan was in high
favor with Philip IL, whom he had
more than once painted while he was
yet prince. Perhaps it was the in
fiuence of Spanish fanaticism gradu-
ally creeping over him. perhaps it was
the advance of old age, but whatever
the reason may be we see Titan gradu-
ally returning to religious scenes and
treating them with less triyiaiity and
less brutality. At the same time he
does not SO often treat nude figures
and NEUROLOGICAL scenes. Aretino was
dead; neo-cathoiicisTn was supreme.
The Christ Crowned with Thorns"
(Munich) and the "Pieta'' (Venice.
Belle ArtD,. on which the master was
engaged at the time of his death. are
good examples of this kind of pseudo
religious hysteria that formed quite a
lengthy prelude to his death in 1876,
during the great plague
The Significance of rftian's art lies
not in drawing or composition, but in
coloring. His drawing was Indifferent.
though Miehelangelo regarded it as
defective. His ability to compose. ait
first decidedly second-rate, became ex-
cellent. but his large compositions
never were his most characteristic
pieces--as compositions. Neither is
titan suggestive and inspiring in the
theme or the inner life of his pictures,
as are so many other great Italian
artists. The delight he does give us
often but not always-4is almost purely
through the color sense: i1l the lands
cape, the atmosphere. the combina-
tions and gradations of tone. the play
Of light, the inwardness Of color. He
shows extreme reticence for al Venetian