Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-10-22
BUTTE PAINTING
MAY BE TITAN
PICTURE NOW ON EXHIBITION AT
ART CENTER THERE ACCUSES
INTEREST
Is One Of 20 In Private Collection Of
Joseph Bean Loaned for Brief Show
ing; Though Unsigned, Countless
Critics Have Pronounced It Genuine.

Stirring widespread comment and
discussion In the cultural circles Of
Butte is an oil painting, now on
exhibition at the Butte Art Center,
which has created the pertinent
question OF whether q Butte man
possesses a genuine @Ozd Master"
Gallery visitors who consult their
catalogues read a simple line titled,
Number Nine-sDanae,' attributed
TO Titan" and immediately begin
70 cOnjure ND the possible history
of Che painting and of the master
who b said 20 have created 10.
The picture is one of 20 IN the pr1-
vate collection Of Joseph Reau Of
Butte and was loaned TO the Butte
Art Center for q brief showing. Mr..
Reau has been unable to trace the
work down through the years although
countless art critics and authorities
have assured him 1t Is a genuine Titan.
The work in question Is unsigned
but there have been occasions In the
past where overpatnttng done by sub
sequent painters obscured the original
artists signature.
One Of Greatest
Titan, who was one of the greatest
palnters Of the italian Renaissance,
and whose real name was T1ziane We
clio, was born IN the Carnic Alps IN
l4T7. He lived TO be almost q century
old, having died in 1876. At the age OF
10 years. he moved 70 venice with ms
uncle, who placed him with the cele-
brated master, Giovanni BeIlini. Here,
among the pupils, Titan met Gior-
gione, q youth of much genius, whose
work made 8 lasting impression on the
boy.
some time. Titan and Giorgione sepa-
rated and Titan went to Padl1a, where
his frescoes are still to be seen. He
finished the uncompleted works OF
BeIIini after the latter'S death and,
IN fact. was given q yearly salary to
paint the portraits Of every Doge who
held office during his time. He Travelled
through the country that is now Italy,
painting portraits Of the members OF
roval families and Of the nobility, as
well as OF the great religious leaders
of his time.
ally and was more than 80 years Of
age before he came into fun posses
passed him In rendering pearly flesh
tones, and it may be said safely that
what painters had been struggling to
achieve since the dawn Of the Renais-
sance came into full flower in T1tians
work.
Intrigued with tales OF mythology
he painted Bacchantes Satyrs. the story
of Venus and Adonis and was especial
" interested in the story Of gods as
they affected Perseus.
@Danae," the subject Of Mr.. Reau's
painting, was the mother of Perseus.
Jupiter was his father and, according
TO legend, an oracle had propheSied
that Perseus would STAY his grand
father. The grandfather, therefore, i'm
prisoned Danae in a bronze tower by
which means he hoped to escape the
prophesy. According to legend. Danae
and Perseus we're cast away into the
sea imprisoned in a chest, but were
rescued by q fisherman, and when
Perseus had attained his manhood he
carried out the prophesy.
There is on record one picture Of
''Danae" executed by Titan in 1854
and which in 1898 was said to be In
the royal gallery at Madrid, Spain.
From known descriptions, it differs
In treatment from the painting in the
Butte art gallery, but Titan is believed
to have painted many variations Of his
favorite subjects.