This biography of
Titian covers is childhood, family and works. Tiziano Vecellio, or Vecelli, one of
the greatest painters of the world, and in especial the typical
representative of the Venetian school, was commonly called during his
lifetime “Da Cadore,” from the place of his birth, and has also been
designated “Il Divino.”
Titian was not
in any sense a Venetian of the lagoons and Adriatic, but was native to a
country, and a range of association, perception and observation, of a
directly different kind. Venice conquered Friuli at a date not very remote
from the birth of Titian; and Cadore, having to choose between Venetian
and imperial allegiance, declared for the former. Approaching the castle
of Cadore from the village Sotto Castello, one passes on the right a
cottage of humble pretensions, inscribed as Titian’s birthplace; the
precise locality is named Arsenale. The near mountain, all this range of
hills being of dolomite formation, is called Marmarolo.
At the neighboring village of Valle was fought in Titian’s lifetime the battle
of Cadore, a Venetian victory which he recorded in a painting. In the 12th
century the count of Camino became count also of Cadore. He was called
Guecello; and this name descended in 1321 to the podesta (or mayor) of
Cadore, of the same stock to which the painter belonged.
Titian, one of a
family of four, and son of Gregorio Vecelli, a distinguished councilor and soldier, and of his wife Lucia, was born in 1477.
But of late years a subsequent date, 1489-1490,
has been suggested, so as to make Titian, at the time of his death, not so
singularly long-lived a man. As to this interesting point one should
remember that Vasari in one passage (at variance with some others) says
that Titian was born in 1480; while Titian himself, writing to Philip II.
in 1571, professed to be ninety-five years old.