Titian, the Pesaro, and the Frari in the Venetian Renaissance

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This monograph parses two early paintings by the§Venetian High §Renaissance artist Titian. His earliest extant§work St. Peter §Enthroned, with Donor and Pope is a wonderful, if§somewhat §awkward, completion of a commission begun by Giovanni§Bellini. §Scholarly controversies are examined and a secure§time- frame of §1506 to the first half of 1507 is advanced, as well§as the §interpretation of an ex voto for the patron, Jacopo§Pesaro, as §prideful recognition of his commission as papal§admiral in the §Christian crusade against the Turks. This patron used§art as a §means to promote his ambitions, and Titian used it to§demonstrate §his ability to compete with Giovanni Bellini. §The second work examined, the Pesaro Altarpiece, in§situ at the §Frari, had a long creative gestation which included§several changes §in composition that culminated in a new standard for§pale altarpieces and sealed Titian s reputation as the§leader of the §Venetian school. This paper demystifies and§disproves some art §historical interpretations that have confused§understanding of §Titian s artistry and the significance of the painting.