Titians altarpieces in the church of the Frari Venice
Titian's Pesaro and Assunta. Altarpieces in the church of the Frari, Venice.What was the importance of these two altarpieces for the development of painting in Venice, both from a stylistic and iconographic point of view?It has been said that Titian's Assunta, which adorns the high altar, and Pesaro (on the left aisle of the chapel of the Immaculate Conception) stand mid-way between the past and the future of Venetian painting. This infers that Titian drew on established traditions learnt from his masters Bellini and Giorgione, and imbued his works with a freshness and inspiration not seen before. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that his sensitive construction of the works - considering the authority of his patrons - facilitate a depth of interpretation which highlight both the sacred and civic concerns of the time. To illustrate Titian's progressive role in Venetian art history, I will draw on Renaissance documentation, and contemporary research that notes the stylistic and iconographic elements of these altarpieces. In 1568 the Florentine chronicler Vasari wrote of Titian, "Titian...who has adorned with great pictures the City of Venice...deserves the love and respect of all craftsmen, who ought to admire and imitate
The viewer's eye is arrested by the raised arms of the disciples, the foreshortening of the virgin's body refuses to let the eye rest, until it reaches the sweeping group of angels. The gold tones prevalent in the work allow for a similar reading, that golden light represents His divine illumination. It should be noted that Fransiscan theory concentrates on the Passion, which can be read here as evidence of patrons' concerns being inextricably linked with the subject matter of these works. The date of unveiling and his name is inscribed on the frame, which sufficiently serves as documentation of the patronage and commission. The advent of x-ray technology has shown the extent to which Titian refined, and reconstructed stylistic elements of the Pesaro which were originally more Belliniesque in concept. Some scholars suggest Titian may have seen preparatory sketches for this work around the time he received the commission for Assunta , in which case the originality of his work is dubious. Hence, the composition must accommodate not only this view, but a full-frontal perspective. When relying on the rhetoric of the State-appointed historians, we must consider the bias that results from their upholding of the 'Myth of Venice'. It appears Pesaro wanted numerous images represented in his altarpiece, supported by Ettlinger who studied the iconography of the columns: "Pesaro. In capturing the ideals and beliefs from their time while exhibiting such progressive artistic features, they hold great importance for the development of painting in Venice.
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Acceptance Essays
