Pesaro Madonna
Encyclopedia
The Pesaro Madonna (better known as the Madonna di Ca' Pesaro) is a painting by the Italian Renaissance master Titian
, commissioned by Jacopo Pesaro, whose family acquired in 1518 the chapel in the Frari Basilica in Venice
for which the work was painted, and where it remains today. Jacopo was Bishop of Paphos
, in Cyprus
, and had been named commander of the papal fleet by the Borgia
pope, Alexander VI.
. Prominently displayed on the step is Saint Peter's key; its diagonal plane, leading toward the Virgin, parallels that of Jacopo. The Virgin's position at the top of the steps alludes to her celestial role as Madonna della Scala (Madonna of the Stairs) and as the Stairway to Heaven. Titian actually used his wife, who died in childbirth soon after, as the model for the Virgin Mary in this work.http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/venice-santa-maria-gloriosa-dei-frari
The large red banner at the far left prominently displays the papal arms in the center and those of Jacopo below, also displayed are olive leaves a symbol of peace. An unidentified knight has two prisoners in tow, a turbaned Turk
and a Moor
, probably a reference to Jacopo's victory over the Turks in 1502. At the right, Saint Francis of Assisi links the five kneeling Pesaro family members to Christ, suggesting that through his own route of identification with Christ salvation can be achieved. Just behind Saint Francis is Saint Anthony of Padua - both, like Saint Bernardino, are Franciscans, as is the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
The members of the donor's family are motionless. All the other figures gesture energetically and occupy diagonal planes. The steps, surmounted by large columns cut off at the top, are thrust diagonally back into space. Infant angels appear on the cloud above. One seen in rear view holds the Cross. The back of this angel is juxtaposed with the infant Christ, who turns playfully on Mary's lap and looks down at Saint Francis, who returns his gaze. The fabrics are characteristically rich and textured, particularly the flag and costumes. This attention to material textures is further enhanced by the variation of bright lights and dark accents in the sky. The light of Venice, sparkling in its waterways, seems to illuminate this painting.
The painting is particularly innovative and shows an example of developed High-Renaissance style, as Titian has used diagonal and triangular principles to draw the viewer's eye up to the Madonna and Child, thus creating hierarchy within the work and shows that the Pesaro family are pious. The architectural setting, involving the two large columns (which have been cropped to fit the altarpiece) draw emphasis vertically and to the height of the work; which draws the eye Heavenwards. The outdoors setting suggests that the activity is taking place in a portico, in which the grandeur of the columns somehow belittles the human beings which leave the figures and the viewer almost in awe of the greater implied force.
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
, commissioned by Jacopo Pesaro, whose family acquired in 1518 the chapel in the Frari Basilica in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
for which the work was painted, and where it remains today. Jacopo was Bishop of Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
, in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, and had been named commander of the papal fleet by the Borgia
Borgia
The Borgias, also known as the Borjas, Borjia, were a European Papal family of Italian and Spanish origin with the name stemming from the familial fief seat of Borja belonging to their Aragonese Lords; they became prominent during the Renaissance. The Borgias were patrons of the arts, and their...
pope, Alexander VI.
Aesthetics
Titian shows his patron in a devotional pose, kneeling before the Virgin and presented to her by Saint PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
. Prominently displayed on the step is Saint Peter's key; its diagonal plane, leading toward the Virgin, parallels that of Jacopo. The Virgin's position at the top of the steps alludes to her celestial role as Madonna della Scala (Madonna of the Stairs) and as the Stairway to Heaven. Titian actually used his wife, who died in childbirth soon after, as the model for the Virgin Mary in this work.http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/venice-santa-maria-gloriosa-dei-frari
The large red banner at the far left prominently displays the papal arms in the center and those of Jacopo below, also displayed are olive leaves a symbol of peace. An unidentified knight has two prisoners in tow, a turbaned Turk
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
and a Moor
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
, probably a reference to Jacopo's victory over the Turks in 1502. At the right, Saint Francis of Assisi links the five kneeling Pesaro family members to Christ, suggesting that through his own route of identification with Christ salvation can be achieved. Just behind Saint Francis is Saint Anthony of Padua - both, like Saint Bernardino, are Franciscans, as is the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
The members of the donor's family are motionless. All the other figures gesture energetically and occupy diagonal planes. The steps, surmounted by large columns cut off at the top, are thrust diagonally back into space. Infant angels appear on the cloud above. One seen in rear view holds the Cross. The back of this angel is juxtaposed with the infant Christ, who turns playfully on Mary's lap and looks down at Saint Francis, who returns his gaze. The fabrics are characteristically rich and textured, particularly the flag and costumes. This attention to material textures is further enhanced by the variation of bright lights and dark accents in the sky. The light of Venice, sparkling in its waterways, seems to illuminate this painting.
Composition
When Titian painted this altarpiece, he broke with a centuries-long tradition of placing the devotional figures (the Virgin and Child) in the center of the painting and the painted space. By doing this, he allowed for a greater sense of movement through the painting, presaging the Baroque period's more complicated compositional techniques.The painting is particularly innovative and shows an example of developed High-Renaissance style, as Titian has used diagonal and triangular principles to draw the viewer's eye up to the Madonna and Child, thus creating hierarchy within the work and shows that the Pesaro family are pious. The architectural setting, involving the two large columns (which have been cropped to fit the altarpiece) draw emphasis vertically and to the height of the work; which draws the eye Heavenwards. The outdoors setting suggests that the activity is taking place in a portico, in which the grandeur of the columns somehow belittles the human beings which leave the figures and the viewer almost in awe of the greater implied force.