[Illustration: QVI GIACE IL GRAN TIZIANO DE VECELLI EMULATOR DE ZEUSI E
DEGLI APELLI.]
Beneath this plain sepulchral stone, in the church of Santa Maria de
Frari, at Venice--rest the ashes of TITIAN, the prince of the Venetian
school of painters, and who, "was worthy of being waited upon by
Cæsar." Yes, this alone denotes his grave at the foot dell'Altare di
Crocisfisso.
Titian was born at a sequestered town in the Alps of Friuli, in the year
1477, his father being of the ancient family of Vecelli. He began very
early to show a turn for drawing, and designed a figure of the Virgin,
with the juice of flowers, the only colours probably within his reach.
He was the scholar of Giovanni Bellino, but adopted the manner of
Giorgione so successfully, that to several portraits their respective
claims could not be ascertained. The Duke of Ferrara was so attached to
Titian, that he frequently invited him to accompany him in his barge
from Venice to Ferrara. At the latter place he became acquainted with
Ariosto. In 1647, at the invitation of Charles V. Titian joined the
imperial court. The emperor then advanced in years sat to him for the
third time. During the time of sitting, Titian happened to drop one
of his pencils, the emperor took it up; and on the artist expressing
how unworthy he was of such an honour, Charles replied, "that Titian
was worthy of being waited upon by Cæsar." But, "to reckon up the
protectors and friends of Titian, would be to name nearly all the
persons of the age, to whom rank, talent, and exalted character,
appertained. Being full of years and honours, he fell a victim to the
plague in 1576, at the age of ninety-nine. To perpetuate his memory, the
artists at Venice proposed celebrating his obsequies, with great pomp
and magnificence in the church of St. Luke, the programme of which is
given at length, by Ridolfi; but, owing to the prevalence of the plague,
no funeral ceremony was allowed by the state: the authorities, however,
made an exception in Titian's favour, and suffered him to be buried in
the church of Friari, as we have stated."
Sir Abraham Hume, the accomplished annotator of the _Life and Works of
Titian_, observes: "It appears to be generally understood that Titian
had, in the different periods of life, three distinct manners of
painting; the first hard and dry, resembling his master, Giovanni
Bellino; the second, acquired from studying the works of Giorgione, was
more bold, round, rich in colour, and exquisitely wrought up; the third
was the result of his matured taste and judgment, and properly speaking,
may be termed his own; in which he introduced more cool tints into the
shadows and flesh, approaching nearer to nature than the universal glow
of Giorgione." After stating what little is known of the mechanical
means employed by Titian in the colouring of his pictures, Sir Abraham
observes: "Titian's grand secret of all, appears to have consisted in
the unremitting exercise of application, patience, and perseverance,
joined to an enthusiastic attachment to his art: his custom was to
employ considerable time in finishing his pictures, working on them
repeatedly, till he brought them to perfection; and his maxim was, that
whatever was done in a hurry, could not be well done." In manners and
character, as well as talent, Titian may not inappropriately be
associated with "the most eminent painter this country ever
produced"--Sir Joshua Reynolds.
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