Titian's Venus of Urbino

“A nude woman reclines on a bed. Her pet dog dozes at her feet. In the background, two servants either remove her garments from , or return them to, a cassone. The nude’s pose derives from that of the ancient Venus Pudica. Unlike the classical goddess, however, this woman does not conceal her breasts but rather uses her right arm to prop herself up on two plump white pillows. The weight shift of the ancient figures standing contrapposto is transformed into an almost spiraling pose of fluid motion… Whereas the classical Venus turns her head in profile, away from the viewer, Titian’s goddess beholds us directly.” (Goffen, 8)

     Titian is described by Goffen as the the first international artist. He was born in 1488-90 near the foothills of the Italian Alps. In his teens he relocated to Venice where he joined the studio of Giovanni Bellini. From the very beginning of his career, Titian had set himself a reputation and acquired several public commissions. His presence dominated in the art community had an influence on many of the great masters active in the Vatican Republic (Goffen 1-3). He had also caught the eye of several powerful and wealthy patrons, including Charles V and his son, Philip II of Spain- which of course he benefited from both socially and financially (Goffen, 3).   

      Titians Venus of Urbino is the subject of todays exploration. In 1538 Titian produced the Venus of Urbino for Duke Guidobaldo. The mystery in the painting is the representation of the subject- which appears to have been conceived without specific literary reference (Goffen 4, 5). The composition is spacious and asymmetric with the nude female form occupying the foreground; capturing a moment in which she reclines in her bed surrounded by her bedroom furnishings- a setting which had not been shown before. Who is the Venus of Urbino? Because sexuality and gender are bound to understanding the identity, Goffen’s article called into question the role of the reclining female form. Judeo-Christian tradition creates a sense of hatred and mistrust for woman- created from the sin of Eve, the downfall of mankind - is the Venus simply a prostitute- pornography? But this creates a paradox with Mary- the mother of Christ- the means of redemption- was this Titians perspective- a creature as it is in beauty, and not as a figure of transgression (Goffen, 10).

      “A prostitute may pose for a nude or indeed for any other character and provide the appearance- but not the morality or the identity- of the painted subject.” (Goffen 11, 12). To me, this is much more than simply a painting of a nude and that is why it has captured so much attention. It is not a question of whether he is a goddess or a whore- but how he represents her and how that defines the role of the beholder (Goffen, 12). It is undeniable that 16^th century Italian culture condemned the view of woman to be lesser than that of man (Goffen, 15) - but I feel as though Titian painted the Venus with a sense of sympathy. The setting- which is extremely personal, creates a sense that she is more than just an object- beautiful to look at yes- but there is more to her character. Her setting tells us that she is likely a wife and has some background of education. Her skin is warm and lifelike and her presence inviting without being overly suggestive. Her gaze is also new to the viewer- to me it as if she is looking straight through them- as if their opinion is irrelevant.