Peter Humfrey

Tiziano Vecellio (c.1488/90-1576) - known in English simply as Titian - was a remarkably versatile painter, equally comfortable with a wide range of genres and subjects. Unlike many artists from history whose work has been appreciated only after their death, Titian enjoyed fame and success throughout his career, which spanned over seven decades. Based in Venice, Titian received commissions from many local patrons and the Venetian government, as well as many distinguished figures from further afield, such as the Pope, the German emperor and the King of Spain. Titian's contemporary biographer, Giorgio Vasari, praised his skill as a colourist, the artist's careful modelling and depth of colour, shown to especially good effect in mythological works such as 'Bacchus and Ariadne' (1520-3) and 'Tarquin and Lucretia' (1569-71), continue to impress viewers in the twenty-first century. In addition to his success in representing pagan mythological themes, his skill as a portrait painter also won him many prestigious commissions, while his renown as a painter of religious subjects resulted in the creation of high-profile altarpieces, as well as individual works for private patrons. This new monologue combines Peter Humfrey's scholarly yet accessible text with 200 beautiful reproductions of Titian's works, from oil paintings and frescos to preparatory drawings. Careful attention has been paid to the scale and quality of the images, allowing the works and their vivid colours to be shown in their true intensity. The book is a perfect introduction to the work of this original and influential Renaissance artist.

An authoritative and comprehensive celebration of the life and work of one of the most prominent artists of the Venetian Renaissance Meticulously researched and luxuriously illustrated, this volume offers a comprehensive view of Vittore Carpaccio (c. 1460/1466-1525/1526), whose work has been admired for centuries for its fantastical settings enriched with contemporary incident and detail. Capturing the sanctity and splendor of Venice at the turn of the sixteenth century, when the city controlled a vast maritime empire, Carpaccio combined careful observation of the urban environment with a taste for the poetic in his beloved narrative cycles and altarpieces. Providing a new lens through which to understand Carpaccio's work, a team of distinguished scholars explores various aspects of his art, including his achievement as a draftsman. In addition to emphasizing the artist's innovative techniques and contributions to the development of Venetian Renaissance painting, this study includes an in-depth consideration of the fluctuations in the reception of Carpaccio's work in the five hundred years since the artist's death. Published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery of Art, Washington (November 20, 2022-February 12, 2023) Palazzo Ducale, Venice