FREE ESSAY ON TITIAN'S ALTARPIECES IN THE CHURCH OF THE FRARI, VENICE

TITIAN'S ALTARPIECES IN THE CHURCH OF THE FRARI, VENICE

Titian's Pesaro and Assunta. Altarpieces in the church of the Frari, Venice.
What was the importance of these two altarpieces for the development of painting in
Venice, both from a stylistic and iconographic point of view?
It has been said that Titian's Assunta, which adorns the high altar, and Pesaro (on the
left aisle of the chapel of the Immaculate Conception) stand mid-way between the past and
the future of Venetian painting. This infers that Titian drew on established traditions
learnt from his masters Bellini and Giorgione, and imbued his works with a freshness and
inspiration not seen before. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that his sensitive
construction of the works - considering the authority of his patrons - facilitate a depth
of interpretation which highlight both the sacred and civic concerns of the time. 
To illustrate Titian's progressive role in Venetian art history, I will draw on
Renaissance documentation, and contemporary research that notes the stylistic and
iconographic elements of these altarpieces. In 1568 the Florentine chronicler Vasari
wrote of Titian, "Titian...who has adorned with great pictures the City of
Venice...deserves the love and respect of all craftsmen, who ought to admire and imitate
him in many things. For he is a painter who has produced...work which...will live as long
as the memory of illustrious men endures" . This is a useful starting point for such an
investigation: this representation is valid, since Vasari had met and spoken to him while
writing the book, and being a Florentine he wasn't so susceptible to employing the
Venetian rhetoric which could tend to be biased
The contemporary chronicler Ludovico Dolce recorded the shock and criticism the Assunta
attracted when it was first unveiled. Such controversy points to its radicalism and
supports assertions that it was influential for developing artists: "For all [the panel's
grandeur and awesomeness], the oafish painters and the foolish masses, who until then had
seen nothing but the dead and cold works of Giovanni Bellini, of Gentile, and of
Vivarino..., which were without movement and modelling, grossly defamed the picture.
Then, as envy cooled and the truth slowly dawned on them, people began to marvel at the
new style established in Venice by Titian..." 
There is good reason to conclude that the Assunta and Pesaro altarpieces rank amongst the
finest and most notary of Titian's works. In his book, The Altarpiece in Renaissance
Venice, Peter Humfrey claims that the exceptionally large number of churches in Venice
elevated the prevalence of this style, as they all needed to be decorated. The lack of
fresco painting (due to the humid climate) meant more panel paintings were constructed,
and so "Venetian painters tended to concentrate their most ambitious efforts...on altar
painting" 
Limitations of the investigation 
The lack of primary documentation from this era hinders our ability to place the artwork
in its socio-cultural context. When relying on the rhetoric of the State-appointed
historians, we must consider the bias that results from their upholding of the 'Myth of
Venice'. Obviously, the value of these to the research question is limited; being
contemporary, they are unable to describe Titian's long-term influence on Venetian
painting. 
Definition of key terms
When analysing artwork from a stylistic point of view, all visual (not metaphorical)
factors are taken into account. Issues of composition, symmetry and asymmetry, colour
palette, application of paint, and rendering of forms are all relevant. Iconography
refers to any elements of the painting that can be left open for a religious or sacred
interpretation. These two points of view are inextricably linked: for example, the
placement (re: composition, thus stylistic element) of the Madonna and Child, elevated in
the centre of a devotional painting also has iconographic references: this was their
traditional position, and portrayed their roles as intercessors between the figures
below, and God in Heaven above. 
In this context, the altarpiece refers to a painting set behind an above the altar in a
Christian church. Painted altarpieces might be accompanied by sculpture, as in the case
of Titian's Assunta, which features three free-standing marble figures on the frame. 
The term sacra conversazione refers to the type of composition made popular by Bellini,
where a group of saints are gathered in a unified space. Any 'conversation' between
saints is solely spiritual and internal; paradoxically, as soon as obvious communication
takes place (in the case of Titian's Pesaro), the composition no longer conforms to what
constitutes a sacra conversazione . 
Established traditions in altarpiece design
Titian was painting amongst the turbulent climate of the age of Reformation and the
Counter-Reformation: this may have influenced his work, endowing it with a greater sense
of drama and more overt display of emotion which is evident especially in Assunta. This
was a significant development from the entrenched Venetian style established by Bellini:
his altarpieces were characteristically tranquil and meditive (Humfrey refers to
Bellini's Diletti, S. Giobbe and St Catherine of Sienna altarpieces in defining the sacra
conversazione). His style embodies the Venetian ethos of 'La Serenissima'.
Stylistic developments in Assunta and Pesaro altarpieces
While depictions of the Assumption scene had been painted by such names as Vivarini and
Palma Vecchio, Titian's subjects are much more powerfully built and more dynamic in their
gestures than the relatively angular and timid figures in the earlier altarpieces. There
is a mood of vivacity and upward movement, driven by the shifts in dark and light through
the three zones (disciples, Madonna, God and angels). The viewer's eye is arrested by the
raised arms of the disciples, the foreshortening of the virgin's body refuses to let the
eye rest, until it reaches the sweeping group of angels. Rosand affirms the stylistic
importance of this work, in suggesting that its unveiling heralded the arrival of the
classical High Renaissance in Venice. Titian's dramatic gestures and breadth of form
draws comparisons to the art of Raphael, and in particular, his Assumption. Some scholars
suggest Titian may have seen preparatory sketches for this work around the time he
received the commission for Assunta , in which case the originality of his work is
dubious. However, the fact that he hadn't yet undertaken the 'artist's pilgrimage to
Rome' and viewed the works of Raphael and his contemporaries, offers credibility in terms
of his artistic innovation. 
A justification of why Assunta was not accepted by the patron, Guardian of the Fransiscan
order, Fra Germano, was because the human forms are too sensual. A highly rhetorical
passage from a 1910 book by Charles Ricketts, asserts that "the face of Mary satisfies us
as expressing ecstasy in a human type" . While being ultimately subjective, it sheds
light on how people would personally react to it. The exuberant vitality would have been
frightening and even offensive, to generations used to Bellini's style. 
The Assunta is notable in combining two significant biblical events: the Assumption of
the Virgin Mary, and the Coronation. The Coronation was a theme most usually represented
in a horizontal format, yet perhaps this extensive thematic content would have offered
more scope for drama and innovation when it was to be set in a tall, arched format.
Infact, when Titian received the commission to construct this work, it was the largest
altarpiece that had ever been seen in Venice. 
In the same way, Pesaro demonstrates an unorthodox blending of styles: the altarpiece
painting and the votive portrait style. He transforms the traditional composition of the
sacra conversazione from one of centrality, to asymmetry. Rona Goffen supports this
notion, claiming there was "no real precedent in earlier altar paintings for this
asymmetrical scheme" . The shift in the Madonna and Child's positioning has iconographic
ramifications, as a central position reflects their supreme role in the relationship with
the saints and patrons. They still dominate the Pesaro, their elevation conveys
importance, and their split attention (Madonna looking to the left, and the Child to the
right) is the key to uniting the two groups. Titian draws on characteristics of the
popular votive picture (paintings depicting a patron venerating a saint in a more
intimate association) - for example, Titian's Bishop Jacopo Pesaro Presented to St. Peter
by Pope Alexander VI - which include profile perspectives of subjects, asymmetry, and
inclusion of things that represent the patron. 
The advent of x-ray technology has shown the extent to which Titian refined, and
reconstructed stylistic elements of the Pesaro which were originally more Belliniesque in
concept. The discovery of underlying pentimenti support this claim, and reveal at least
two changes of plan: the first resembles a Bellini work, with a vaulted loggia-like
arrangement. The second experimented with a curtain slung across and a Corinthian
capital, before the final two colossal columns were executed. Obviously he maintained an
awareness of his teachers and a connection with the familiar, yet he presents a notable
departure from the Venetian tradition of the Quattrocento, in the disjuncture he
establishes between the realm of the church, and inside the painting. Titian has
successfully reinterpreted the relationship between the image and the worshipper,
'denying access to the observer', in contrast to Bellini's devotional portraits, where
the viewer was able to connect with the humanity of the Virgin Mary by her gaze out of
the painting.
Iconographic developments in the Assunta and Pesaro altarpieces
Much has been written about the role of the columns in the background of the Pesaro
altarpiece. David Rosand cites historical texts which interprete the columns to be
architectural symbols of Mary, "the heavenly ladder by which God descends to Earth, so
that through her, those men who merit it ascend to heaven" If we agree with this
summation of Mary as the 'stairway to heaven', then these columns can be seen as
iconography, rising up to heaven. This appears plausible, since there doesn't seem to be
any indication of a natural termination to these columns. Alternatively, the columns
could be a direct illustration of the text of Ecclesiasticus 24:7, "and my throne is a
cloudy pillar". This has a special relevance, since other passages from Ecclesiasticus 24
have been linked by art historians to the Immaculate Conception, which is the theme of
this altarpiece. 
The issue of the Immaculate Conception - the idea that Mary was exempt from original sin
at the moment of her conception - was the cause for much antagonism between the
Fransiscans and the Dominicans, who preferred to believe that like St John the Baptist,
Mary hadn't been conceived without sin, but sanctified in the womb. Thus, not only are
the columns significant iconography within the altarpiece, but relate to themes which
promote the Fransiscan theology. Adversely, Humfrey dismisses any iconographic
significance that these columns might contribute. "Their purpose is primarily pictorial:
to give greater structural coherence...and to endow the scene with an aura
of...grandeur." This alternative appears to supplement the x-ray evidence that Titian
experimented with a variety of architectural solutions to create a setting that would
achieve architectural, as well as theological decorum
Like many devotional scenes that depict the Madonna and Child, there are many references
to Christ's destined crucifixion. It should be noted that Fransiscan theory concentrates
on the Passion, which can be read here as evidence of patrons' concerns being
inextricably linked with the subject matter of these works. Mary's gesture towards his
raised foot alludes to his stigmata and the crucifixion. Titian follows popular depiction
of St. Francis (patron saint of the Fransiscan order); his open hand alludes to his
stigmata, yet is also a tool to allow the eye to travel around the composition. St.
Francis' position makes him intercessor between the Pesaro family and Christ. These
allusions to the Passion become explicit in the depiction of the two putti in the clouds,
who support a large wooden cross.
The extent of the Pesaro's iconographic significance can be challenged with the knowledge
of the particular troubles Titian had to overcome regarding the placement of the work.
The viewer first encounters the altarpiece from an angle, approaching the high altar.
Hence, the composition must accommodate not only this view, but a full-frontal
perspective. It seems that these conditions would have challenged Titian's creativity,
and the question of what stands due to necessity and what stands as iconography in this
work makes analysis a complicated issue.
With the Assunta, Goffen suggests that the stylistic feature of circular forms carries
iconographic relevance. While they unify the composition within the painting, the curved
architecture of the choir screen and the apse, they refer metaphorically to God, "circles
being His geometric equivalent" . The gold tones prevalent in the work allow for a
similar reading, that golden light represents His divine illumination. The light becomes
more intense and golden as we cross the boundary between the mundane and the sacred
realms, reaching its full density when it reaches God. This golden light and illumination
embodies Mary's triumph over sin and death. 
The extent to which the role of patronage inhibited artistic innovation
We have an inhibited ability to interpret works as reflections of the artist's innovation
and artistic development since they were largely contrived according to the demands of
the patrons. In Titian's Pesaro, Jacopo Pesaro's demands were well documented. The terms
of Titian's commission stipulated that he include full-length kneeling portraits of
Jacopo, his brothers and nephew . In meeting these requirements, this could perhaps
account for Titian's unusual composition, and if true, it negates the interpretation of
significant stylistic innovation. It appears Pesaro wanted numerous images represented in
his altarpiece, supported by Ettlinger who studied the iconography of the columns:
"Pesaro...believed that a successful integration of all elements could be achieved" .
Alongside the depiction of the Immaculate Conception (and his veneration of it), the
inclusion of his family, and emblems which celebrated his illustrious military career
were involved. The presence of so much diverse symbolism complicates an interpretation of
the artwork's iconography, which has been demonstrated in the plethora of scholars'
explanations in regard to the columns in the background of the Pesaro altarpiece.
As a Mendicant friar, Fra Germano Casale could not own property, although he is
commerated as the "patron" of the Assunta . The date of unveiling and his name is
inscribed on the frame, which sufficiently serves as documentation of the patronage and
commission. Even if Germano relied on bequests to the Frari to fund the work, his vested
interests are apparent when we read of his constant harassing of Titian while it was
being painted. It reinforces the notion raised with the Pesaro, that the presence of the
patrons places an influence on the outcome of the painting, so much so that it enables
interpretations based on the political and social interests of the patrons. 
It is the many possible readings of these works, not only from a stylistic and
iconographic point of view, that make the Assunta and Pesaro such enigmatic and
monumental works. In capturing the ideals and beliefs from their time while exhibiting
such progressive artistic features, they hold great importance for the development of
painting in Venice.
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Anderson, J. 'The Genius of Venice 1500-1600', in Art International, vol.27 April/June
1984 p.15-22
2. Ettlinger, H. 'The Iconography of the Columns in Titian's Pesaro Altarpiece', in Art
Bulletin vol.61, 1979 p.59-67
3. Goffen, R. Piety and Patronage in Renaissance Venice: Bellini, Titian and the
Fransiscans, New Haven, Yale (1996)
4. Humfrey, P. The Altarpiece in Renaissance Venice, New Haven and London (1993)
5. Licht, F. 'Titian: The Majestic Voice of All Venice', in Art International no.11
Summer 1990 p.90-93
6. Ricketts, C. Titian Methuen & Co.Ltd, London, 1910
7. Rosand, D. Painting in Cinquecento Venice: Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, New Haven and
London (1982)
8. Rosenthal, M. 'In my view... Titian's reputation: the limitations of history', in
Apollo, Dec. '93 p.395-8
9. Tietze, H. Titian: The Paintings and Drawings The Phaidon Press Ltd, London 1950