From the artist's life
Charles V is said to have once bent down to pick up a brush Titian had dropped — an emperor serving a painter, a gesture unthinkable for the era.
Source: Wikipedia / WikimediaRenaissance
Titian
Titian (c. 1488–1576) was the towering master of the Venetian Renaissance, whose loose, glowing brushwork and saturated colour reshaped European painting for centuries. As court painter to Emperor Charles V and the Habsburgs, he set the model for the independent, celebrated artist.
From Rubens and Velázquez to Rembrandt and the Impressionists, painters learned colour and free handling from Titian; he is often called the father of modern painting.
- Defined the Venetian colore tradition — building form through colour and light rather than line.
- Worked for popes, emperors and kings, becoming the most sought-after portraitist in Europe.
- His late works, painted with fingers as much as brushes, anticipated loose modern brushwork by 300 years.
Key works
Where to start
Complete list of key works
Works with a dedicated ArtAtlas page are highlighted in gold.
- Venus of UrbinoOn ArtAtlas
- Equestrian Portrait of Charles VListed for reference
- Woman with a MirrorListed for reference
- Pope Paul III and His GrandsonsListed for reference
- Tarquin and LucretiaListed for reference
- Venus with a MirrorListed for reference
- The Crowning with ThornsListed for reference
- Madonna of the RabbitListed for reference
- The Martyrdom of Saint LawrenceListed for reference
- CherubListed for reference
- MascaronsListed for reference
- Saint John the AlmonerListed for reference
1538
Venus of Urbino
The Venus of Urbino is an oil painting by Italian painter Titian, depicting a nude young woman, traditionally identified with the goddess Venus, reclining on a couch or bed in the sumptuous surroundings of a Renaissance palace.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what people most often search about this artist.
When did Titian live?
Titian was born around 1488 in Venice and died in 1576. He became the leading master of the Venetian Renaissance and court painter to Emperor Charles V.
What is Titian's most famous painting?
Among his most celebrated works is Venus of Urbino, a defining image of the reclining nude in Western painting.
How did Titian differ from other Renaissance masters?
He built form through colour and light rather than line — this Venetian approach was later adopted by Rubens, Velázquez and the Impressionists.
Why is Titian called the father of modern painting?
In his late works he painted almost with his fingers, achieving a loose, near-Impressionist brushwork three centuries before it became the norm.