One day a great emperor was watching an artist paint, when one of the painter’s brushes rolled to the floor. The king stooped and picked up the brush, saying as he did so, “It becomes Caesar to serve Titian.”
It was in such esteem that the Emperor Charles V held the great artist. “There are many princes, but there is only one Titian,” he said.
During the ninety-nine years of the life of Tiziano Vecello, or Titian (Tish-en), as he is known today, some of the greatest events in the history of mankind took place. The year that he was born, 1477, at Cadore in Italy, the first dated English book was printed on the press of William Caxton. When Titian was fifteen Columbus discovered America. Hardly twenty-five years later Charles V, King of Spain, was crowned Emperor of most of Europe. Then came the Reformation, with Luther as its leader, and toward the end of the artist’s life the great revolt of the Netherlands which freed them forever from the dominion of Spain. Living in such stirring times, it was natural that Titian gave to the world art that combined many truths of a universal nature.
Titian first studied at Venice. Giovanni Bellini, the great Venetian master, was one of his teachers. Later on Titian formed a partnership with Giorgione, the famous Italian painter. Albrecht Dürer, who visited Venice after Giorgione died, also made a great impression on Titian.
Titian’s style formed itself early. He was famous before the age of thirty. From this time on he lived in princely style, surrounded by friends, and with honors and commissions from all sides. He was considered the greatest portrait painter living; and he never let up in his work—he was still a powerful artist when most men fail in strength.
Lodovico Ariosto, the Italian poet, was one of Titian’s friends. This man was born at Reggio, in Lombardy, on September 8, 1474. He inclined strongly to poetry from his earliest years; but his father made him study law. At last, however, he was allowed to follow his inclination and overjoyed, he threw himself heartily into the study of the classics. He worked hard, but when his father died he was compelled to give up literature to manage his family, whose affairs were in a poor way.
But he managed to write at this time some comedies and prose, and a few lyrical pieces. Later on he was more successful, particularly when a brother of the Cardinal Ippolito d’Este took him under his patronage. He not only distinguished himself as a poet, but also as a diplomatist.
There is a story told of Ariosto that when walking one day in a deserted spot he fell in with bandits. They took him captive, but discovering that he was the author of “Orlando Furioso,” they humbly apologized for not having shown him the respect due him.
Ariosto spent the last part of his life at Ferrara, writing comedies, and correcting his “Orlando Furioso,” of which the complete edition was published only a year before his death, which occurred on June 6, 1533.