Two last paintings from the Villa Borghese

Titian-Sacred and Profane Love-1514-Nicoló Aurelio and Laura Bagarotto (Epithalamic-Nuptial Painting)

This painting was made early in Titian’s career but it didn’t receive its common name until much later, the end of the 16^th century.  It is a polysemic painting meaning that is open to multiple interpretations; interpretations that are based on the viewer’s level of culture and knowledge, and the circumstances at the time.  For example, art historian Erwin Panofsky considered this a neo-platonic painting and that the women represented Celestial Venus and Earthly Venus.  He based this partly on the castle in the background which is clearly the town of Asolo.  The Court of Caterina Cornaro, former queen of Cyprus who had given Cyprus to Venice, was the place in the day for artists, musicians, and poets such as Pietro Bembo who helped revive pastoral poetry.  These artists and poets would sit around and discuss neo-platonic philosophy and other important humanistic ideas.  Bembo’s Asolani was published around 1500 and would not have been unknown to Titian.

Another theory is that Sacred and Profane Love is based on Francesco Colonna’s Hpynerotomachia Poliphili, a bestselling novel about a boy who dreams and in his dreams he travels.  In one of his travels he meets two women at a fountain.

Another art historian (whose name I didn’t write down because it was supposed to be on our handouts but it wasn’t-something like Rona Goffrey) discovered the coat of arms on the fountain of Nicoló Aurelio.  With further study she discovered the coat of arms of the Bagarotto family in the silver bowl.  After a great deal of research she discovered there was a connection.  Nicoló Aurelio was a citizen of Venice but not a nobleman.  Laura Bagarotto was a young woman with a tragic past: her family was considered to be traitorous to Venice and all of the male members were executed, including her husband, and the family’s titles and properties confiscated.  The two met, fell in love (or not), and married.  By marrying Laura, Nicoló was able to regain the family’s titles and properties for Laura and become a nobleman as part of the package.  It is quite possible that he commissioned Titian to create this painting as a wedding painting.  Venus and Cupid, unseen by Laura, are present to bring luck-read fertility and lots of sons-to the marriage.  Another symbol in the painting points to it being a nuptial painting, the basket with jewels often represented a dowry.  The painting may be a talismanic image for marriage but that is no reason to discount the other theories as they are just as valid points of view.

Danae-Corregio-1531-Frederico II, Duke of Mantua

Frederico commissioned a series of paintings based on the loves of Jupiter: Io, Leda, Ganymede, and Danae.  Jupiter often had to disguise himself when seducing his loves to keep from frightening them and, more importantly, to hide from his jealous wife, Juno.  Danae was the daughter of Acrisius who had received an oracle telling him he would be killed by the son of Danae.  Thinking ahead, he built a tower and locked his daughter up in it.  Jupiter saw her, fell in love, and came to her in the guise of a golden shower.  Imagine Acrisius’ surprise to discover his daughter had given birth to a lovely little boy, Perseus but that’s another story.

During the Middle Ages, the poetry of Ovid had been translated with a moral bent; the story of Jupiter and Danae was considered a reference to the annunciation.  Renaissance artists-poets, painters, thinkers, etc.-rediscover sensuality and bring it back into the light.  This painting is sensuous and is meant to be.  It helped open the doors for future artists like Caravaggio.  Cupid is seen assisting Jupiter by taking Danae’s clothes off and pointing to the golden drops falling from the sky, which Danae clearly is enjoying.  This painting marks the rebirth of erotic art.