VENUS OF URBINOIn 1538, at the height of his powers, Ti-
tian painted the so-called Venus of Urbino (FIG. 22-40) for Guido-
baldo II, who became the duke of Urbino the following year
(r. 1539–1574). The title (given to the painting later) elevates to the
status of classical mythology what is actually a representation of an
Italian woman in her bedchamber. Indeed, no evidence suggests that
Guidobaldo intended the commission as anything more than a female
nude for his private enjoyment—the embodiment of womanly beauty
and of the qualities he sought in a bride. Whether the subject is divine
or mortal, Titian based his version on an earlier (and pioneering)
painting of Venus (not illustrated) by Giorgione. Here, Titian estab-
lished the compositional elements and the standard for paintings of
the reclining female nude, regardless of the many variations that en-
sued. This “Venus” reclines on the gentle slope of her luxurious pil-
lowed couch, the linear play of the draperies contrasting with her
body’s sleek continuous volume. At her feet is a pendant (balancing)
figure—in this case, a slumbering lapdog. Behind her, a simple drape
both places her figure emphatically in the foreground and indicates a
vista into the background at the right half of the picture. Two servants
bend over a chest, apparently searching for garments (Renaissance
households stored clothing in carved wooden chests called cassoni) to
clothe “Venus.” Beyond them, a smaller vista opens into a landscape.
Titian masterfully constructed the view backward into space and the
division of the space into progressively smaller units.
As in other Venetian paintings, color plays a prominent role in
Venus of Urbino.The red tones of the matron’s skirt and the muted
reds of the tapestries against the neutral whites of the matron’s
sleeves and the kneeling girl’s gown echo the deep Venetian reds set
off against the pale neutral whites of the linen and the warm ivory
gold of the flesh. The viewer must study the picture carefully to real-
ize the subtlety of color planning. For instance, the two deep reds (in
the foreground cushions and in the background skirt) play a critical
role in the composition as a gauge of distance and as indicators of an
implied diagonal opposed to the real one of the reclining figure.
Here, Titian used color not simply to record surface appearance but
also to organize his placement of forms.ISABELLA D’ESTE Titian was also a highly esteemed portraitist
and in great demand. More than 50 portraits by his hand survive.
Among the best is Isabella d’Este (FIG. 22-41), Titian’s portrait of
one of the most prominent women of the Renaissance (see “Women
in the Renaissance Art World,” page 611). Isabella was the daughter
of the duke of Ferrara. At 16, she married Francesco Gonzaga, mar-
quis of Mantua, and through her patronage of art and music, she
was instrumental in developing the Mantuan court into an impor-
tant cultural center. Portraits by Titian generally emphasize his psy-
chological reading of the subject’s head and hands. Thus, Titian
sharply highlighted Isabella’s face, whereas her black dress fades into
the undefined darkness of the background. The unseen light source
also illuminates Isabella’s hands, and Titian painted her sleeves with
incredible detail to further draw viewers’ attention to her hands. This
portrait reveals not only Titian’s skill but the patron’s wish as well.
Painted when Isabella was 60 years old, at her request it depicts her in
her 20s. Titian used an earlier portrait of her as his guide, but his por-
trait is no copy. Rather, it is a distinctive portrayal of his poised and
self-assured patron that owes little to its model.610 Chapter 22 ITALY,1500 TO 160022-40Titian,Venus of Urbino,1538. Oil on canvas, 3 11 5 5 . Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
Titian established oil-based pigments on canvas as the preferred painting medium in Western art. Here, he also set the standard
for representations of the reclining female nude, whether divine or mortal.1 ft.