Titian; a collection of fifteen pictures and a portrait of the painter Part 2

RULERS.

_Emperors_:--

Maximilian I. of Germany, 1493-1519.

Charles V. of Germany (I. of Spain) crowned Holy Roman Emperor, 1520. Died 1558.

_Kings_:--

Philip II. son and successor of Charles V., accession, 1556; death, 1598.

Henry VIII. of England, reigned 1509-1547.

Edward VI. " " 1547-1553.

Mary Tudor " " 1553-1558.

Elizabeth " " 1558-1603.

Francis I. of France, " 1515-1547.

Henry II. " " 1547-1559.

Catherine de' Medici real ruler of France in reigns of Francis II.

and Charles IX., 1559-1574.

_Popes_:--

Sixtus IV., 1471. Paul III., 1534.

Innocent VIII., 1485. Julius III., 1550.

Alexander VI., 1492. Marcellus II., 1555.

Pius III., 1503. Paul IV., 1555.

Julius II., 1503. Pius IV., 1559.

Leo N., 1513. Pius V., 1566.

Adrian VI., 1522. Gregory XIII., 1572.

Clement VII., 1523.

_Doges of Venice_:--

Giov. Mocenigo, 1478. Francesco Donato, 1545.

Marco Barbarigo, 1485. Marco Trevisan, 1553.

Agostino Barbarigo, 1486. Francesco Venier, 1554.

Leonardo Loredan, 1501. Lorenzo Priuli, 1556.

Antonio Grimani, 1521. Girolamo Priuli, 1559.

Andrea Gritti, 1523. Pietro Loredan, 1567.

Pietro Lando, 1528. Alvise Mocenigo I., 1570.

_Painters_:--

Giovanni Bellini, 1428-1516.

Perugino, 1446-1523.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519.

Michelangelo, 1475-1564.

Bazzi (II Sodoma), 1477-1549.

Giorgione, 1477-1510.

Palma Vecchio, 1480-1528.

Raphael, 1483-1520.

Sebastian del Piombo, 1485-1547.

Andrea del Sarto, 1486-1531.

Correggio, 1494-1534.

Giorgio Vasari, 1512-1574.

Tintoretto, 1518-1594.

Paolo Veronese, 1528-1588.

_Men of Letters_:--

Ariosto, 1474-1533, poet.

Aretino, 1492-1557, poet.

Ta.s.so, 1544-1595, poet.

Pietro Bembo, 1470-1547, cardinal and master of Latin style.

Jacopo Sadoleto, 1477-1547, cardinal and writer of Latin verses.

Balda.s.sare Castiglione, 1478-1529, diplomatist and scholar.

Aldo Manuzio, 1450-1515, printer; established press at Venice, 1490.

Guicciardini, 1483-1540, historian.

I

THE PHYSICIAN PARMA

We are about to study a few pictures reproduced from the works of a great Venetian painter of the sixteenth century,--t.i.tian. The span of this man's life covered nearly a hundred years, from 1477 to 1576, a period when Venice was a rich and powerful city. The Venetians were a pleasure-loving people, fond of pomp and display. They delighted in sumptuous entertainments, and were particularly given to pageants. We read of the picturesque processions that paraded the square of St.

Mark's, or floated in gondolas along the grand ca.n.a.l. The city was full of fine buildings, palaces, churches, and public halls. Their richly ornamented fronts of colored marbles, bordering the blue water of the ca.n.a.ls, made a brilliant panorama of color. The buildings were no less beautiful within than without, being filled with the splendid paintings of the Venetian masters.

The pictures in the churches and monasteries ill.u.s.trated sacred story and the fives of the saints; those in the public halls depicted historical and allegorical themes, while the private palaces were adorned with mythological scenes and portraits.

t.i.tian engaged in works of all these kinds, and seemed equally skilful in each. The great number and variety of his pictures bring vividly before us the manners and customs of his times. His art is like a great mirror in which Venice of the sixteenth century is clearly reflected in all her magnificence. As we study our little prints, we must bear in mind that the original paintings glow with rich and harmonious color. As far as possible let us try to supply this lost color from our imagination.

Nearly all the notable personages of the time sat to t.i.tian for their portraits,--emperors, queens, and princes, popes, and cardinals, the doges, or dukes, of Venice, n.o.blemen, poets, and fair women. Wearing the costumes of a bygone age, these men and women look out of their canvases as if they were still living, breathing human beings. The painter endowed them with the magic gift of immortality. Though the names of many of the sitters are now forgotten, and we know little or nothing of their lives, they are still real persons to us, with their life history written on their faces.

Such is the man called Parma, who is believed to have been a physician of t.i.tian's time, but whose only biography is this portrait. If we were told that it was the portrait of some eminent physician now practising in New York or London, we should perhaps be equally ready to believe it.

We might meet such a figure in our streets to-morrow. There is nothing in the costume to mark it as peculiar to any century or country. The black gown is such as is still worn by clergymen and university men. The man would not have to be pointed out to us as a celebrity; we should know him at once as a person of distinction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fr. Hanfstaengl, photo. John Andrew & Son. Sc.

THE PHYSICIAN PARMA

Vienna Gallery]

The science of medicine was making great progress during the sixteenth century. It was then that the subject of anatomy was first developed by the celebrated Fleming, Vesalius, court physician to Charles V.[5] In this period, also, the science of chemistry first came to be separated from alchemy, and progressive physicians applied the new learning to their practice.

We may be sure that our Doctor Parma belonged to the most enlightened cla.s.s of his profession. His strong: intellectual face shows him to be one who would have little patience with quackery or superst.i.tion. He has a high, n.o.ble forehead, keen, penetrating eyes, and a firm mouth. His beautiful white hair gives him a venerable aspect, though he is not of great age. It blows about his face as fine and light as gossamer. He is an ideal "family physician," of a generation ago. We can imagine how children would learn to look upon him with love and respect, perhaps also with a little wholesome fear.