The Art of Titian

Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576) known in English as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno (in Veneto), in the Republic of Venice. During his lifetime he was often called da Cadore, taken from the place of his birth.

Recognized by his contemporaries as "The Sun Amidst Small Stars" (recalling the famous final line of Dante's Paradiso), Titian was one of the most versatile of Italian painters, equally adept with portraits, landscape backgrounds, and mythological and religious subjects. His painting methods, particularly in the application and use of color, would exercise a profound influence not only on painters of the Italian Renaissance, but on future generations of Western art.

During the course of his long life, Titian's artistic manner changed drastically but he retained a lifelong interest in color. Although his mature works may not contain the vivid, luminous tints of his early pieces, their loose brushwork and subtlety of tone are without precedent in the history of Western art.



The Rape of Europa was painted by Tiziano Vecillio sometime during the period of 1559 to 1562 for the King of Spain Phillip II. It was certainly one of the most jovial of his poetic works. The painting depicts a completely surprised Europa arms and legs flailing as she is carried away on Jupiter’s back as he is disguised as an ornamented white bull while a little chubby and nude boy riding the back of a dolphin appears to be mocking her. Meanwhile in the sky are cupids follow the happy scene. The clear blue sky combined with a stormy sky is the Venetian’s subtle hint of conflict taking place between the two lovers. Europa is portrayed as demure and resistant, weak with desire and frightened beneath a contrasting sky of opposites both calm and turbulent. Cupids one below and two above are transfixed as they watch the tension between Europa and Jupiter.

Titian used light to accentuate the dramatization and emotions of the painting, superbly depicting the Venetian’s skill in the use of light. Nymphs ambiguous on the far shore helplessly waive as they watch. Europa’s voluptuous and billowing flesh and the white bull’s tail seem to quiver excitedly at the forthcoming sexual contact.

The bull’s eye was painted by Titan to be unavoidably leering and impossible to avoid is the most painted eye of human or animal in Western art. It is spellbinding and dares the viewer not to stare back!