Titian (ca.1488 - ca.1576) "Lady in White" 1561, approx. 40” x 30” oil on canvas
Bildnis einer Dame in Weiß
In 2018, Columbus Museum of Art, the first chartered museum in the state of Ohio, marks its 140th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations, CMA collaborated with the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Columbus’ sister city, Dresden, Germany, to bring Titian’s masterpiece Portrait of a Lady in White to Ohio. The most famous painter from the Venetian School, Titian was active for over 60 years. In fact, some have suggested he lived to 100 years.
Mystery has always shrouded the technical processes of the Venetian School. When looking at the founding of the English Royal Academy during the 18th and 19th centuries, an event that came to be known as “the Venetian Scandal” occurred.
The Venetian Scandal involved several artists and a purported letter containing the secret of the Venetian painting methods. It amounted to nothing more than a swindle, as the work of these English painters has shown over the years.
The true secret of the Venetians was that they discovered principles of modern painting: a type of harmonious color, a more direct application of paint and, most importantly, putting into practice the principle of warm tones versus cool tones. This gave them the tools to do the most naturalistic paintings to date. A stunning example of this is seen in Lady in White. Note the very slight graduations of shadow which turn to a cool tone against the brilliance of tints made of white, which appears as a warmer tone. Warmer tones give the impression of moving forward in the painting, while cool tones recede.
This painting, one of perhaps 300 Titians surviving at this time, is well worth a visit before the show closes Dec. 9.
Michael McEwan teaches oil painting classes in his Summit Street studio. His paintings are available exclusively from Keny Galleries. Learn more at www.michaelmcewan.com.
