The Flickr Titian Image Generatr

Images from the museum.

Portrait of a Young Englishman (Portrait of a Young Man with Grey Eyes)
1540–45
By Titian

The master asked to be buried in the Frari. His tomb represents a triumphal arch with a winged lion (symbol of Venice) at the top. Titian, crowned with laurel, is in the middle and is accompanied by statues representing arts and nature. Venice, Italy.

With Titian’s masterpiece - The Assumption of the Virgin. The Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy.

15th century wooden choir and a view towards the presbytery with Titian’s The Assumption of the Virgin. The Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy.

The Assumption of the Virgin is, I think, the best-known painting by Titian. It shows the Virgin Mary being taken up to Heaven by a group of angels, while the Apostles watch from below. This is the largest painting ever made on a wooden panel and it is set within a large frame made of Istrian stone. The masterpiece remains exactly where Titian intended it to be, with the Gothic windows behind acting as a backdrop and providing backlight just as he planned. The Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy.

This is a painting by the late Italian Renaissance master Titian depicting Virgin Mary sitting on a high pedestal, holding a restless Baby Jesus. Her eyes are drawn to a large key placed on the steps below. St Peter, dressed in a blue robe, is holding a book and is also looking towards this key. Saint Francis and Saint Anthony of Padua stand beside the pedestal, below them a group of people is kneels motionless, with one boy looking directly at the viewer, the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy.

Milan

Milan

Milan

The Crucifixion is a life sized painting by the Venetian artist Titian, completed in 1558 and presently hanging in the sanctuary of the church of San Domenico, Ancona. Jesus Christ is shown crucified, with Saint Mary and Saint John standing either side of the cross in the Stabat Mater tradition. The kneeling figure is of Saint Dominic. The canvas was completed during Titian's fifth decade of painting, and is one of the works marking a shift toward his extensive exploration of tragedy and human suffering.
The mirderoa heads of the standing figures are presented in an upturned triangle arrangement near the base of the cross. All the figures appear in the foreground, which is on a single plane, lending a sense of immediacy to the picture. The composition is dominated by a colouristic conception of painting in which the picture's predominant dark blue, brown and red hues are pierced through with near-white flashes of light. The cloying regions of dark hues, such as the area of browns and near-black comprising the Golgothan terrain from which the saints emerge, intensify the sadness and horror of the crucifixion. Against this, the moonlit highlights draw attention to significant dramatic and emotional elements of the spectacle. In the late years of his life, in such works as the Ecce Homo (National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin), and the Saint Margaret and the Dragon (Museo del Prado, Madrid), Titian used this method of contrasting of light and colour as a key—or even pivotal—tool for rousing in the viewer a dominant emotion of one kind or another. With the Crucifixion, this method of generating a tragic sensibility is used almost to the exclusion of any other method. It is one of the earlier—possibly the earliest—and most direct uses of the technique in all of Titian's paintings.
But this was not a practice the artist used in all his paintings from this period, and it is indeed in sharp contrast with The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, another depiction of human suffering Titian was completing at the same time he was working on the Crucifixion. Whereas the Crucifixion has a simple layout, The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence is a complex—almost baroque—composition. Although the use of colour, light and contrast in the Martyrdom has some obvious similarities with the Crucifixion, it makes no use of any plan of monolithically coloured forms to convey any of its message or gravity.
In Giorgio Vasari's account of The Crucifixion in terms of Titian's late style, he noted Titian's use of what he termed as "stains or patches" (referred to as "macchie")—forceful, striated and impasto applications of paint, alongside more concise brushwork. Vasari particularly pointed out the vigorous and textured quality of these strokes. The sparse yet skillful highlights on Saint Dominic's head and the expansive earthy tones defining Christ's feet bear a striking resemblance to the suggestive technique observed in Titian's unfinished works.
Even before entering the last phase of his life, Titian demonstrated a more liberated painting approach in certain situations. This occurred, for instance, when the artwork's surface wasn't meant for close inspection or when dealing with larger-scale compositions. In pieces like the Crucifixion and The Annunciation in San Salvatore in Venice from around 1560-6, there are several instances exemplifying this 'late style', such as the expressive, impasto lilies in the latter. These artworks, likely destined for dimly lit church settings, might have influenced Titian's decision regarding the level of meticulousness applied to these works. A similar scenario might be observed in The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, which not only is set at night but also allows for broader, more dynamic brushwork. The fact that these paintings left Titian's studio during his lifetime suggests an intentional pursuit of this more relaxed stylistic effect.
Another notable aspect of Crucifixion as well as other late works from Titian, is the presence of flecks of colour applied across the painting. When the canvas is viewed from a distance, these spots of bold colours have the effect of bringing animation to the surface of the picture.
This artwork stands out as a pioneering piece in Counter-Reformation art, which notably prioritized narrative clarity and emotional empathy. The deliberate positioning of the three mourners in the foreground encourages viewers to empathize with their grief. The Virgin and saints form a crescent shape, resembling the head of an anchor, positioned at the foot of the cross. The Virgin expresses solitary sorrow on the left, while St Dominic, depicted with elongated fingers, fervently grasps the base of the cross for strength. Christ, noticeably more illuminated, appears somewhat distant, slightly smaller than the others, evoking a sense of separation. Titian vividly portrays blood coursing along Christ's arms and soaking into the loincloth, aligning with the Counter-Reformation's aesthetic and principles.

Images of items in the Uffizi collection.

Flora
1517

By Titian
Oil on canvas

" A young woman emerges from the brown background of the painting, holding out a bouquet of spring flowers, consisting of violets, rosebuds and jasmine. She is dressed in ancient style, with a bright white robe that slides down over her right shoulder, offering a glimpse of her breast, while her head gently rests on her left shoulder as she gazes outside of the painting. Her face, with its delicate features, meets all of the cannons of 16th-century Renaissance beauty: luminous pale skin, pink cheeks and a face framed by loose long, copper blonde hair - the typical hair colour of women painted by Titian (hence the term “Titian red”).

The subject has been identified as “Flora”, the nymph bride of Zephyr, whose story is Greek in origin, told to us by Ovid. This identification dates back to Joachim von Sandrart, Dutch historian who saw the work in around 1635 in the collection of don Alfonso Lòpez, Spanish ambassador in Amsterdam. Don Alfonso Lòpez sold the painting to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, and it was taken to Florence in 1793 as part of an exchange of artworks between the Imperial Belvedere Gallery in Vienna and the grand dukes of Tuscany. The fame of this painting is shown by the many engravings made of it from the 16th century onwards.

The painting is part of the research into the image of feminine beauty that began at the start of the century by the “Laura” by Giorgione, dated 1506 and now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. On a par with other depictions of women of a particular beauty and sensuality, which form a subgenre of painting, established around Venice and known as the “Belle” [Beauties], the image is not an unequivocal allusion to Flora, animator of the licentious celebrations of Ancient Rome, but rather to feminine beauty, able to combine modesty and voluptas."

In the actual painting that hangs in the National Gallery of Ireland, changes Titian made and then painted over have, over time, become visible, so that his masterful interpretation of his subject is, in my opinion, marred.

After seeing and photographing the original painting, I always wondered how Titian had intended his finished painting to look.

I decided to use Photoshop to modify my original photograph by covering over places in the painting where the changes Titian had made are now visible, so that the painting would look as Titian intended it to look.

Personally, I very much like my modified version, which to me changes Titian's masterpiece from a study in how the artist created the image to an emotionally moving portrait of Jesus as he was presented by Pontius Pilate, and as Titian probably would have wanted us to see him.

I hope Titian would approve.

You can see my photo of the unmodified version of this painting at:

www.flickr.com/photos/slynnlee/28067160228/in/photolist-J...

2018FEB23 SLYNNLEE-113002 (modified version)

THE HAZZARD RANGE BULLETIN
Hazzard Range County Sheriff’s Office Deputies and County Volunteer Fire Station 4 ( Mars ) were dispatched to Old Mill RD near Swift Creek Bridge 2 little before 7:30 am on Tuesday, March 11th,2025, to respond to a vehicle vs livestock call.
Station 4 ( Mars ) Chief Steve Bacox told the Bulletin . The Horse died on the scene, and the Driver and occupants were fine. The truck had front-end damage.
Hazzard Range County Regional Dispatch Authority Director Thomas Reed told the Bulletin that this 8th call was from a rural area of the county and out of that 3 of those were from the townsites of Sparta and Eagle lake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOTE NOT REPORT IN THE PAPER ~~~~~
Pictured are the Horse’s owner, County Volunteer Fire Station 4 Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Deputy/Wildlife Investigator Dan Farco and Deputy Robert Leta

Images from the Uffizi Gallery.

Venus of Urbino
1538
Oil on canvas
Titian

"This is one of Titian’s most famous works and it depicts the emblematic figure of a young bride about to be dressed to take part in the celebration of the ritual known in Venice as “il toccamano”. It was a ceremony held in the home and not in church, during which a young woman whose hand was requested in marriage would touch the hand of the groom to express her consent. Titian takes this as his inspiration for a seductive Venus, using an iconography that began in the early Renaissance, inspired by the ancient depiction of the “Venus pudica”. The girl, lying naked on a bed with crumpled sheets, gazes out at the onlooker in a flirtatious, allusive manner, while hiding her pubis with her left hand and holding a bunch of roses, the emblem of Venus and of the pleasure and constancy of love in her right. At the foot of the bed, the sleeping dog - the same one that appears in another Titian in the Uffizi, the portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga - is a reference to fidelity in marriage. The background shows an elegant room of the kind distinctive to a rich patrician home in 16th-century Venice. There are two maids, one intent on searching in the painted chest from which she has just removed the sumptuous gold and light blue wedding dress that can be seen on the shoulder of the other maid, standing to the right. On the window sill is a pot of myrtle, a traditional plant linked to Venus, and a further reference to the constancy in love already alluded to by the dog at the foot of the bed.

On this canvas, Titian is able to confirm his extraordinary talent when it comes to conferring intensity and character to his subject, as well as his unmatchable skill in portraying the softness of skin and the quality of materials. As certified in a letter dated 1538, the painting of the “naked woman” was bought directly from Titian by Guidobaldo II della Rovere and it was taken to Florence as part of Vittoria della Rovere’s dowry, the last member of the family and wife of Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II de’ Medici. For many years, the painting was on display in the Tribuna degli Uffizi, close to the Medici Venus, probably as an intended comparison between the two provocative beauties: the classic, idealized ancient statue, and the modern, carnal painting by Titian."

Russia
One reason I'm hoping for peace between Russia and Ukraine is the possibility of visiting this Museum. What is it? It's the Hermitage in St. Petersburg Russia.

The Hermitage is a museum of art and culture holding the largest collection of paintings in the world. It was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired a collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky.

It features works of Italian Renaissance artists, including Leonardo da Vinci (two Madonnas), Michelangelo, Titian, Giorgione, and Veronese.

Also French Neoclassical, Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, including works by Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and Gauguin, are displayed, also paintings by Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne, Alfred Sisley, Henri Morel, and Edgar Degas.

The Baptism of Christ is an oil on panel religious painting by Titian, dated to c. 1512. It is held in the collection of the Capitoline Museums, in Rome.
In the Baptism of Christ, John the Baptist (top left) rests on Jesus (centre), and the donor, the Venetian Giovanni Ram (bottom right), whom the artist was obliged to introduce into the picture, is connected by a glance with the patron Saint. According to Ricketts, in 1910 the picture was "darkened in part", but the condition was "otherwise good".
Gronau and Ricketts both compare the figure of John in the Baptism of Christ (Gallery of the Capitol, Rome),—who kneels, supporting himself by his hand, and in this attitude, the upper part of his body bending forwards, completes the act of baptism,—with the figure of the shepherd in the Holy Family with a Shepherd (National Gallery, London), "a more noble figure than the shepherd," says Gronau, "but bearing to him, we might say, the strongest family likeness." The same figure recurs in the Three Ages of Man (Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh)

The Pilgrims at Emmaus, also called the Supper at Emmaus, is a painting by Titian, made about 1533 or 1534, which hangs in the Louvre in Paris.
The date of this picture has been debated. Crowe and Cavalcaselle put it down to the year 1547 (about); Gronau and Ricketts think it was painted somewhat earlier, about 1543. The Louvre dates it even earlier, to between 1533 and 1534. It belonged to the group of Mantuan pictures bought in 1628 by Charles I. It entered the collections of Iabach and Louis XIV. In the eighteenth century it was in the sacristy of the Chapel at Versailles. A replica, which, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century was preserved in the Ducal Palace, Venice, belongs now to the Earl of Yarborough.