Venus of Urbino, a dangerous beauty

Titian, Venus of Urbino. 1538. Galleria degli Uffizi. Florence, Italy.

Titian’s Venus of Urbino was painted in Florence, Italy in 1538, and was only later named this as it was commissioned by the Duke of Urbino, Guidobaldo II della Rovere. He ordered the painting “as a gift for his young wife and to celebrate his 1534 marriage.” (The Artist). The mid-16th century painting idealized the human feminine form as a tribute to Venus “done in homage to feminine beauty from a purely human perspective”, (Wadsworth, 312). The striking colors and sensual light is a style attributed to Titian and later widely studied and emulated by baroque painters among others. What drew me to this painting in addition to the sensuous pose and lush colors is the symmetry and dimension. The figure draws you into the room first with her eyes then with her body and offers a peek into the domestic activities in her private boudoir. 

Tintoretto, Jacopo. Portrait of a Lady. 1574. Worcester Art Museum. Worcester, MA.

The woman reminds me of historical figure Veronica Franco, the Florentine courtesan and poet, though she was born just after this was painted. She was the subject and model for many prominent men who were beguiled by her beauty and wit such as Mannerism artist Jacopo Tintoretto (The Last Supper. 1594). “By the 1570s, she belonged to one of the more prestigious literary circles in the city, participating in discussions and contributing to and editing anthologies of poetry.” ("Veronica Franco" 2019) and consorting not only with wealthy noblemen but scholars and painters. She was a humanist in every regard and committed to raising the status of women. 

“We danced our youth in a dreamed of city, Venice, paradise, proud and pretty, We lived for love and lust and beauty, Pleasure then our only duty. Floating them twixt heaven and Earth And drank on plenties blessed mirth We thought ourselves eternal then, Our glory sealed by God’s own pen. But paradise, we found is always frail, Against man’s fear will always fail.” — Veronica Franco

Tintoretto, Jacopo. Danaë. 1570.

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon. Lyon, France.

The Venus of Urbino aptly reflects the central theme in Renaissance paintings, the female nude. Their expressions reflect the knowledge of the power their beauty held over men whether painter or patron, all were captivated. By veiling these portraits as a tribute to Venus they were able to avoid any scandal, yet they still possess a dangerous beauty. 

More on Veronica Franco...

Dangerous Beauty (1998)

Citations

“Venus of Urbino.” The Artist - Art and Culture Blog, www.theartist.me/collection/oil-painting/venus-of-urbino/.

Cunningham, Lawrence and John Reich, eds. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Vol 2. Wadsworth, 2005.

“Veronica Franco.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 May 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Franco.

A New Mood

Simone Martini, Saint Andrew, 1326.

Uffizi, Florence, Italy

One key factor in Renaissance Art was the transition from the dark and stiffer figures of the Middle Ages to a new lighter, warmer and more dramatic depiction of figures. This new injection of life into art certainly signals a rebirth of humankind. It also represents a more relational imagery intended to inspire positive emotions such as love, life and appreciation for beauty as a reflection of God. This new mood in Renaissance Art is described in the video, Art of the Western World, while the technical precision of the art is described in the text of Chapter 12, Cunningham, Lawrence and John Reich, eds. Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities. Vol 2. Wadsworth, 2005. 

Sandro Botticelli,
Madonna of the Magnificat,1481. Uffizi, Florence, Italy. 

The focus in the text is on the new revolutionary characteristics of Florentine Renaissance Art. “Clarity of line, a concern for mathematically precise perspective, close observation of real people, concerned for psychological states, and an uncluttered arrangement that rejects the earlier tenancy and paintings to produce crowded scenes to fill up the available space”, Wadsworth, page 270, are noteworthy changes in style seen in frescoes from such master artists as Massacio. While the new technical style of the artists is important, the transition from darker times and a foreboding mood into a rebirth era and mood of light and life is noteworthy.