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Titian Self-Portrait (drawing) The drawing bears an oval collection stamp showing the initials ''“CP”'' over an upright lion on the lower right. Fritz Lugt first discovered this stamp on a Rembrandt School drawing, but he does not suggest an identity of the collector (see also Le marques de collection des dessins et estampes, Supplements, San Francisco 1988, p. 90, no. 619a). A drawing by Santi di Tito depicting St Thomas Aquinas shows an identical stamp (Metropolitan Museum, New York (1984.23). In 2003 art historians first became aware of this self-portrait; at that time W. R. Rearick published the drawing on the cover of the first issue of “Studi Tizianeschi”, a journal of the newly established Centro Studi Tiziano e Cadore. Along with it, the historian wrote a short note, in which he described the portrait as a ''“live-portrait”'' of the master “Here we are dealing with the only known Ad Vivum drawing by Titian ”. The drawing itself was temporarily attributed to Giuseppe Porta, called Salviatino, and dated to 1562, when he was due to leave Venice and relocate to Rome to finish the frescoes of the Sala Regia in the Vatican, left unfinished after the death of his teacher, Francesco Salviati. To support his hypothesis, Rearick referred to certain preliminary studies for details of these Vatican frescoes. The assumption that Porta was the author of the portrait was not well-received by specialists and was then refuted both orally and in writing by David McTavish – the author of Porta’s monograph –. David Rosand, dean of Titian studies, later joined in this opinion in his lectures held in 2007 and 2009. It was David Rosand who decidedly attributed the present work to Titian himself, despite a certain resemblance (so we are told by Giorgio Vasari) with Giuseppe Porta’s drawing of Francesco Marcolini, the most important 16th century Venetian publisher, created as a template for a woodcut. This drawing was often attributed to Titian (he was a close friend of Marcolini) because of its accomplished mastery, similar to the one that the Master created for a woodcut of Ludovico Ariosto for the final version of the Orlando furioso, which was then published in 1532 in Ferrara. Rosand’s text for the exhibition Tiziano, L’ultimo atto - Belluno - ( 2007 ), which he returned to later to revise, then appeared as an essay in Artibus et Historiae n. 59 - 2009. From then on Rosand’s argumentation threw a whole new light on the “self-portrait”, juxtaposing the drawing stylistically, compositionally and chronologically with the Titian portrait in the Prado - although the perspective is mirror-inverted. The American art historian was well aware that this work would hold a special position both technically and typologically within Titian’s graphic oeuvre (which is well known to be rather sparse and, particularly in relation to late works, often controversial). However, for David Rosand it seemed ultimately impossible to attribute the drawing to any other known artists of the second half of the 16th century. In his formal considerations, Rosand emphasizes the “''confident and spontaneous line''” with which the drawing was executed and stresses that the “''entire composition exhibits an extraordinary coherence and compactness''”. The drawing was exhibited again in the exhibition ( curated by Vittorio Sgarbi ) Tiziano, I volti e l’anima Castello di Mirandolo, San Secondo di Pinerolo (Turin). In 2014 the drawing was shown in a special exhibition Tiziano,un Autoritratto. Problemi di autografia nella grafica tizianesca at the Museo Correr in Venice where it was exhibited alone. For this exhibition a scholarly catalogue was published with contributions from 4 known art historians specialising on Titian drawings. All the 4 experts clearly believed the drawing to be an important addition to Titian’s graphic catalogue raisonné. In her essay, Luba Freedman describes how carefully Titian prepared the ivory paper for this drawing to make it look like parchment, that durable as well as expensive material on which all official documents of the Venetian Republic were written and whose official painter Titian was. She also mentioned the three-dimensional plasticity of the profile and the meticulousness of the execution especially around the eyes, the aquiline nose, the ears, the cheeks and temple wrinkles with the aid of “''painting effects''” typical for Titian’s late works. Luba Freedman also refers to the two self-portraits in Berlin and Madrid. As in those two masterpieces, the current drawing portrays characteristics of wisdom, prestige, nobility and authority, which the mature artist liked to convey in his representations. The historian believes that the small format was chosen for a reason; according to her the drawing was probably to be included as a precious gift in a folded letter to be sent to an important political figure. Luba Freedman thought a hypothetical addressee of this letter could be Antonio Pérez, the Secretary of Castile and important figure at the Habsburg Court in Spain. Antonio was the son of Gonzalo Pérez, the secretary of Philip II, whom Titian immortalized in a painting referred to and praised by Pietro Aretino. Antonio Pérez was a great admirer of Titian. He had many of his works and exchanged letters with the master whom he revered. In her catalogue essay, Jodi Cranston sees the drawing in the context of those which Titian (especially as of 1550) created using a variety of techniques to draw his own lasting image. She especially points out the rarity of Renaissance self-portraits, which were usually created only as preliminaries to paintings and therefore almost never survived – making our work all the more unique and interesting. The historian also notes that Titian always avoided the traditional frontal figure in his self-portraits, instead preferring to select a more objective manner of representation, resulting in a “''Self-portrait as the Other''”. Jodi Cranston does not rule out the possibility that our drawing was the model for the painting in the Prado or “''a representation approved by Titian''” that “''should publicise the likeness of the master in another artistic form.''” Joanna Woods Marsden by contrast analyses Titian’s various representations according to their chronological order of creation and within the development processof the Renaissance artist. This development works towards obtaining the status of an intellectual, whose work is not mere mechanical craft, but who deserves access to Mount Olympus of the Liberal Arts, from which the Art of Painting was traditionally excluded. In his self-portraits (as well as our drawing), Titian always attached great importance to the entire planning aspect, not focusing on the manual execution only. The large woodcut print by Giovanni Britto (ca. 1550) comes to mind, whose original template was by Titian. Here the master portrays himself holding a pen in his hand, as if he is just drawing or noting something on a tablet. A similar intention can also be seen in the two self-portraits in Berlin and Madrid. Joanna Woods Marsden also covered the three medals that portray Titian. These are the first independently-designed portraits of the artist. Here too he can always be seen in profile, both, on the side always accredited to Leone Leoni, which was created ca. 1537 with the inscription TIZIANO PICTOR ET EQUES, and on the side designed by Pastorino Pastorini in 1545, and again on the large (103 mm diameter) but qualitatively less successful image from Agostino Ardenti originating ca. 1570, showing Titian with a small framed picture of his son Orazio. Joanna Woods Marsden assumes that the drawing was a preliminary study, almost a record, that was to be used as a template for the kneeling donor on the small altar wing, which Titian donated to the parish church of his birthplace Pieve di Cadore ca. 1560/70 and was largely created in his workshop. However, in the last catalogue essay for the Museo Correr exhibition, Raymond B. Waddington questions whether there could possibly be a connection between the three medals and our drawing. Since both coins attributed to Leoni and Pastorini are excluded by their date, he makes a connection to the large medal of Agostino Ardenti, which could chronologically fit our self-portrait. This was later used as a model for an identical but slightly larger polychrome wax image. Waddington then goes on to plausibly refute the link seen by some historians between this medal and our self-portrait: the technique and compositional structure generally and in every detail suggest that no such link can be made and that the only similarity is the physiognomy of the depicted person. In fact, the medal of Ardenti is a rather mediocre work probably tracing back to a second-hand illustration. Ardenti himself was a rather insignificant artist. No acquaintance between him and Titian is ever mentioned either. Relationship with Titian’s other drawings Titian’s drawings have long been neglected and even today many questions remain unanswered. This is primarily due to the attitude of art historians starting with Vasari who considered Titian’s drawings quantitatively and qualitatively marginal – his artistic weak point. This prejudice hardened over time, despite the wonderful graphic works left by the master and although Titian himself always showed great interest in the production of prints. He was a close friend of the engravers Marcantonio Raimondi and Giulio Campagnola and later Ugo da Carpi, Niccolò Boldrini, Giovanni Britto and Cornelis Cort. There are only a few graphic works by Titian considered authentic, so that from the 17th century onwards no real market for these was ever developed, the inte- rest of collectors and art dealers dissipated, such that even major museums neglected this aspect of Titian’s work. Art historically this part of the artist’s oeuvre thus became very difficult to access. There were, and are, very few reliable clues to establish a substantial catalogue raisonné. Due to additions and subtractions the catalogue is constantly subject to significant change. However, it is interesting to note that the most recent catalogue lists no more than fifty drawings by Titian with only a few drawings unambiguously attributed to Titian himself (mostly preliminary studies, figures or anatomical details for large-scale paintings or lands- capes with figures and animals). However, considering the masterful composition, complexity and monumentality of Titian’s paintings, it is immediately apparent that he must have drawn a lot more, different from what can be gathered from the currently known drawings. Therefore, a steady increase of the graphic catalogue seems only natural and even necessary, particularly since Titian had a long creative life. As already mentioned our self-portrait therefore is a rarity with only few possible comparisons. Joanna Woods Marsden describes the situation very aptly: “''among the sketches that were created in a similar technique, there are only about half a dozen that are officially recognised – and among these only a few are part of Titian’s late work (...) The drawings created around 1560 are mostly figural studies or figural parts (...) There is, at no time in his career, a portrait of this kind, not even in a different version.''” ''Joanna Woods Marsden continues that unlike in his “studies''”, in the case of this drawing Titian seems “''to have known exactly what he wanted, expressing it probably quickly and fairly directly on paper''”. Closing Remarks Research of this drawing enables us to underline some features that, in addition to breathtaking quality of the work, allow an increasingly certain attribution, based on the following: 1. Titian can clearly be recognized as the subject. 2. It is a “''Ad Vivum'' ” portrait in profile. 3. The small size of the paper. The first point gives a time ca. 1560 – 1570. The execution is typically Venetian, viewed both directly and magnified. Most experts believe that the work was created “''Ad Vivum'' ”, i.e. from the life model, apparent from the level of detail and Titian’s lively expression. A drawing based on a template would automatically be less detailed and less expressive, the features stylized. Technically too, such a drawing would be shallower and less balanced. The question of whether the drawing was created “ Ad Vivum ” is crucial: it is certainly a self-portrait, because why would an old master sit as a model for another painter to create a small-format charcoal drawing in profile instead of, as usual, a frontal or three-quarter profile? In addition, as David Rosand aptly identified: no Venetian artist of the time – not Veronese, Tintoretto nor Bassano, even Giuseppe Porta or Federico Zuccari – would have been able to make a drawing of such high quality, except Titian himself. On the other hand, the small-scale format provides us with clues as to the possible use of the drawing. It could be imagined that it was a gift to accompany a letter as a keepsake, like Luba Freedman suggests, or as a template for an engraving. However, it could also be a study for the self-portrait in the Prado, like David Rosand and Jodi Cranston thought. But perhaps it is also a template for the workshop (as Joanna Woods-Marsden suggested) for the execution of the painting in the Vecellio Chapel in Pieve di Cadore. It was Titian who, in that special moment, deliberately chose this small format to allow for this light line and wonderful artistic style. Literature: Illustrated in W.R. Rearick, Ritratto di Tiziano Vecellio, in: Studi Tizianeschi, I, 2003, frontispiece. Compare Id.,Titian and Artistic Competition in Cinque- cento Venice: Titian and His Rivals, in: Studi Tizianeschi, 2, 2004, p. 36. David Rosand, Autoritratto di profilo, in: Lionello Puppi (ed.), Tiziano. L’ultimo atto, exhibition catalogue, Belluno, Palazzo Crepadona, Pieve di Cadore, Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità, 15 September 2007 – 6 January 2008, Milan, 2008, no. 5, pp. 359. Compare M. Falomir, in: S. Ferino-Pagden and G. Nepi Scirè (eds.), L’ultimo Tiziano e la sensualità della pittura, exhibition catalogue Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, 26 January – 20 April 2008, Venice, 2008, I. 10, pp. 176. Illustrated in David Rosand, Titian Draws Himself, in: Artibus et Historiae, no. 59, 2009, pp. 65, ill. p. 66. Illustrated in Lionello Puppi and Andrea Donati (eds.), in: Tiziano e Paolo III. Il Pittore e il suo modello, exhibition catalogue, Musei Civici agli Eremitani, Padua, 6 July – 30 September 2012 Rome, 2012, p. 17 and 19, fig. 29. Compare L. Attardi, in: G.F. Villa (ed.), Tiziano, exhibition catalogue, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, 5 March – 16 June 2013, Cinisello Balsamo, 2013, p. 264. Illustrated in S. Saponara, in: Vittorio Sgarbi (ed.), Tiziano: i volti e l’anima, exhibition catalogue, Castello di Mirandolo, San Secondo di Pinerolo (Turin), 16 March – 16 June 2013, Savigliano, 2013, pp. 68. Illustrated in A. Bellieni (ed.), Tiziano. Un autoritratto. Problemi di autografia nella grafica tizianesca, exhibition catalogue, Museo Correr, Venice, 29 March – 15 June 2014, Venice, 2014, with contributions from Luba Freedman, Jodi Cranston, Joanna Woods Marsden, Raymond B. Waddington. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Titian Self-Portrait (drawing)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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