Titian's Erotic Mythologies: A Reappraisal of Love, Desire, Death
In 2020, the National Gallery in London presented 'Titian: Love, Desire, Death', marking the first exhibition in almost 500 years to showcase six mythological paintings by Titian, commissioned by Philip II of Spain. Unfortunately, the exhibit was shut down after just three days due to COVID-19. Art lover Ian Munday reflects on the featured works, including 'Danaë', 'Venus and Adonis', 'Perseus and Andromeda', 'Diana and Callisto', 'Diana and Actaeon', and 'The Rape of Europa'. Created over a ten-year span, these paintings portray explicit nudity and sexual violence, posing challenges for the Catholic Philip II. Munday explores the balance between their revered status and unsettling themes, citing critic Eunice Lipton and their impact on subsequent artists and feminist movements.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Titian: Love, Desire, Death' at the National Gallery in London in 2020 closed after 3 days due to COVID-19 lockdown.
- The exhibition brought together six paintings by Titian commissioned by Philip II of Spain.
- The paintings were based on tales from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
- Titian's models were likely sex workers from Venice.
- Philip II was a devout Catholic and leader of the Counter-Reformation.
- The paintings include 'Danaë', 'Venus and Adonis', 'Perseus and Andromeda', 'Diana and Callisto', 'Diana and Actaeon', and 'The Rape of Europa'.
- Titian's nudes influenced later artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, and Manet.
- The essay was written by Ian Munday, who was unable to visit the exhibition due to the pandemic.
Entities
Artists
- Titian
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Anthony Van Dyck
- Édouard Manet
- Guerrilla Girls
- Eunice Lipton
- Ian Munday
Institutions
- National Gallery London
- Museo del Prado
- Wallace Collection
- Scottish National Gallery
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- Uffizi
- Gemäldegalerie
- Wellington Collection
- Apsley House
- Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Museum of Fine Arts Ghent
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Machynlleth
Locations
- London
- England
- United Kingdom
- Spain
- Madrid
- Venice
- Italy
- Edinburgh
- Scotland
- Boston
- MA
- USA
- Berlin
- Germany
- Vienna
- Austria
- Ghent
- Belgium
- Wales
- Welshpool
- Machynlleth