Titian to 1518: The Assumption of Genius
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,History & Criticism
Titian to 1518: The Assumption of Genius Details
From Library Journal Titian's work has been admired and analyzed in countless studies over the centuries, from the classic study by Vasari to Filippo Pedrocco's recent, well-received catalogue raison . But most scholars minimize the seemingly impenetrable forest of Titian's early work. Joannides (art history, Cambridge), the first to present an entire book devoted to Titian's youthful oeuvre, tries to identify the trees. His main purpose is to establish that the themes developed early in Titian's career were carried out in his later works. Using the latest research and attributions, the author rearranges the usual assigned chronology of Titian's paintings and weaves a thread through his relationship with Giorgione, the Bellinis, and del Piombo. Titian was competitive with Michelangelo's compositions and Raphael's portraiture in the development of figure painting. Ultimately, the author is convincing, making constant reference and cross reference and moving from visual link to visual link in the paintings. The book has a unique feature, a historiographical table that documents the attribution of Titian paintings by prominent scholars, as well as 146 color and 126 black-and-white illustrations. This densely written and fully realized scholarship is suited for connoisseurs of Renaissance painting as well as academics, curators, and artists. It should be considered for acquisition by large public, museum, and academic libraries. Ellen Bates, New York City Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Read more Review This…fully realized scholarship is suited for connoisseurs of Renaissance painting as well as academics, curators, and artists. -- Library Journal Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
This is an excellent book but not for everybody. For the scholar, the art historian, the museum curator, the seller and buyer of rare Titian works of art, and others to whom detailed knowledge of attributions (who did it) is vital, this book is invaluable. To the general reader there is much of interest when he speaks of the character of paintings, what is in them, the nuances of the artist's strategy, the relation of one piece to others by Titian and by whom he may have been influenced, the qualities displayed, the weakness and the strength and where a piece stands in Titian's body of work, Titian's aspirations and frustration in the period covered, and similar matters.There are other, more general, thoroughgoing studies of his life and work, available. I have several published at the same time as this, but covering the entirety of his life and work, which I will review as they are read. For now, for the general reader, at the price I see for the book from Amazon (and, presumably, other sellers), if interested I would recommend borrowing the book from a library, where possible, but seeking insight into the life and work of Titian from one of the more accessible books available.