Product Description

Scholars have long debated the mystery of Titian’s later works. His palette, so extraordinarily expressive, makes one ask whether his paintings are to be looked at as a visionary achievement or simply as unfinished works. Taking fully into account his cultural milieu, and enriched by studies on the patrons and collectors of Titian’s works as well as on his contemporaries (in particular Schiavone, Tintoretto, and Jacopo Bassano), this volume gives definitive answers to many questions while delving deeper into the great master’s life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #497071 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-29
• Released on: 2008-04-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

About the Author
Giovanna Nepi Scirè is Special Superintendent for Venetian Museums. She mostly deals with Venetian art, in particular Giovanni Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. Sylvia Ferino-Pagden is curator of the Department of Italian Renaissance Art at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. She deals with Italian Art of the period, in particular Rafaello, Parmigianino, Titian, Michelangelo, and Giorgione.

Customer Reviews

A Visual Feast
I had a chance to see this show in Vienna, but had to cancel for health reasons. The only bad thing about this book is that it reminds me of what a great exhbition I missed. Text runs the gamut from biographical essays to very detailed considerations of technique. The illustrations are large and magnificently rendered. A wonderful overview of the most interesting period of Titian's work that may introduce you to some masterful, seldom-reproduced paintings.

A supreme achievement in Western painting
This book is the catalogue for an exhibition held at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, in late 2007. It is centered on a crucial body of works by the Venetian master, when his sense of color, composition, and, above all, drama, reached its peak. The book starts with several scholarly essays on Titian's late style, on his workshop (in this respect, neither Jeff Koons nor Damien Hirst invented anything when they started using assistants...), on his influence beyond Venice (i.e. at the Spanish court)or on his technique. Especially interesting are the chapters that dwell on specific paintings (the Nymph and Shepherd, recently restored, and the Danae, both in Vienna) which help understand the master's creative process and the implication of studio assistants in the finished product, as well as the chapter studying Titian's art of the portraiture (here, marvelous illustrations of such portraits as that of the Aretino, of pope Paul III, of Doge Andrea Gritti, and many more, are all analysed in depth).

As is the case with most of the Kunsthistorisches Museum's publications, this is a high-quality catalogue written by leading authorities in the field, which I highly recommend.