Titian

Tiziano Vecellio (c.1488/90-1576) - known in English simply as Titian - was a remarkably versatile painter, equally comfortable with a wide range of genres and subjects. Unlike many artists from history whose work has been appreciated only after their death, Titian enjoyed fame and success throughout his career, which spanned over seven decades. Based in Venice, Titian received commissions from many local patrons and the Venetian government, as well as many distinguished figures from further afield, such as the Pope, the German emperor and the King of Spain. Titian's contemporary biographer, Giorgio Vasari, praised his skill as a colourist; the artist's careful modelling and depth of colour, shown to especially good effect in mythological works such as 'Bacchus and Ariadne' (1520-3) and 'Tarquin and Lucretia' (1569-71), continue to impress viewers in the twenty-first century.

Peter Humfrey is Professor of Art History at the University of St Andrews, where he has taught since 1977. He is the author of numerous publications on Venetian Renaissance painting and was co-author of the catalogue of the Age of Titian exhibition, held at the National Gallery of Scotland in 2004.