b. 1485-1490? d. 1576

Born Tizlano Vecellio in Pieve di Cadore, Titian lived a long life, despite his correct birth year being unknown. He studied under Giovanni Bellini, but formed a strong bond with another artist named Giorgione. Between 1506 and 1508, Titian assisted Giorgione with the fresco, 'Fondaco dei Tedischi' in Venice. When Giorgione passed away in 1510, Titian completed many of his uncompleted works. The authorship of certain paintings are still in dispute today between the two painters. Giorgione's style spurned poetry, while Titian's was that of worldliness.

His finiest mythological works between 1518 and 1523 consisted of, 'Worship of Venus', 'The Bacchanal' and 'The Bacchus and Ariadne'. But his most outstanding portrait was of 'Man with a Glove' from 1520.

In his later works, he concentrated mainly on portraits, which included those of Pope Paul III (1546), Charles V (1548, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire), and a Young Giorgio Cornaro (1538), who commissioned the Villa Cornaro. The Emperor later appointed Titian the rank of Count Palatine, and Knight of the Golden Spur.

^ SELF-PORTRAIT

1550-1562, Berlin, Germany

Titian was approximately 91 years old at the time of his death. His last work, The Pieta (in Venice), was being created for his own tomb. He had made a deal with the Pope that in return for the sculpture, he would have a burial tomb available at the Vatican for himself. He however died before The Pieta was finished, and the deal did not go through. He and his son, Orazio both succumbed to the plague that had swept through Venice at the time. The Pieta was finished by Palma II Giovani.