Titian's 'Venus of Urbino' (Masterpieces of Western Painting) |
| |
|
|
By Cambridge University Press
Average Customer Rating: 
|
|
|
|
Masaccio's 'Trinity' (Masterpieces of Western Painting)
|
|
Product Description
Arguably the quintessential work of the High Renaissance in Venice, Titian's Venus of Urbino also represents one of the major themes of western art: the female nude. But how did Titian intend this work to be received? Is she Venus, as the popular title - a modern invention - implies; or is she merely a courtesan? This book tackles this and other questions in six essays by European and American art historians. Examining the work within the context of Renaissance art theory, as well as the psychology and society of sixteenth-century Italy, and even in relation to Manet's nineteenth-century 'translation' of the work, their observations begin and end with the painting itself, and with appreciation of Titian's great achievement in creating this archetypal image of feminine beauty.
|
|
Titian's greatest work?, 2002-04-06
Editor Rona Goffen has done a superb job anthologizing some of the most insightful scholarship surrounding one of the most impressive works of the Western cannon. Goffen (Rutgers), an expert on Titian's Venetian milieu, has carefully selected excerpts from some of the finest contemporary scholarship including such prominent names as T.J. Clark (Berkley), Carlo Ginzburg (UCLA) and David Rosand (Columbia). This collection of essays seeks to place the Venus in its social context by focusing on gender roles of sixteenth-century Venice. This discourse includes a broad discussion of the role of women in both marriage and as courtesan. Ginzburg offers an insightful study of Titian's relationship to sixteenth-century sexual codes, focusing on his relationship to Ovid. Rosand deals with the question of genre with regard to the reclining Venus which becomes so important in Titian's art after the Urbino painting. Arasse focuses on a semiotic reading of the painting, while Pardo and Goffen both try to contextualize Venus's sexuality. T.J. Clark's chapter, which is taken from his book The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers (Princeton, 1984), offers a reflection on Manet's Olympia and its significant references toward the Venus of Urbino. This book is absolutely wonderful! It is rare to find such an insightful anthology of critical that is also such an easy read. This book is a must read for anyone interested in Titian and the Venetian school. Its only draw back is that the essays are not reprinted in their entirety.
|
|
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 759.5
EAN: 9780521449007
ISBN: 0521449006
Label: Cambridge University Press
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 184
Publication Date: 1997-02-28
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Studio: Cambridge University Press |
