DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51585#0241
TITIAN.
237
National Gallery, and a Danae which excited the
admiration of Michael Angelo. At this time Titian
was seventy-two.
He next, by command of Charles V., repaired to
Augsburgh, where the emperor held his court:
eighteen years had elapsed since he first sat to
Titian, and he was now broken by the cares of
government—far older at fifty than the painter at
seventy-two. It was at Augsburgh that the inci-
dent occurred which has been so often related :
Titian dropped his pencil, and Charles taking it up
and presenting it, replied to the artist’s excuses that
“ Titian was worthy of being served by Caesar.”
This pretty anecdote is not without its parallel in
modern times. When Sir Thomas Lawrence was
painting at Aix-la-Chapelle, as he stooped to place
a picture on his easel, the Emperor of Russia anti-
cipated him, and taking it up adjusted it himself;
but we do not hear that he made any speech on the
occasion. When at Augsburgh, Titian was en-
nobled and created a count of the empire, with a
pension of two hundred gold ducats, and his son
Pomponio was appointed canon of the cathedral
of Milan. After the abdication and death of
Charles V., Titian continued in great favour with
his successor Philip II., for whom he painted se-
veral pictures. It is not true, however, that Titian
visited Spain : the assertion that he did so rests on
the sole authority of Palomino,, a Spanish writer on
237
National Gallery, and a Danae which excited the
admiration of Michael Angelo. At this time Titian
was seventy-two.
He next, by command of Charles V., repaired to
Augsburgh, where the emperor held his court:
eighteen years had elapsed since he first sat to
Titian, and he was now broken by the cares of
government—far older at fifty than the painter at
seventy-two. It was at Augsburgh that the inci-
dent occurred which has been so often related :
Titian dropped his pencil, and Charles taking it up
and presenting it, replied to the artist’s excuses that
“ Titian was worthy of being served by Caesar.”
This pretty anecdote is not without its parallel in
modern times. When Sir Thomas Lawrence was
painting at Aix-la-Chapelle, as he stooped to place
a picture on his easel, the Emperor of Russia anti-
cipated him, and taking it up adjusted it himself;
but we do not hear that he made any speech on the
occasion. When at Augsburgh, Titian was en-
nobled and created a count of the empire, with a
pension of two hundred gold ducats, and his son
Pomponio was appointed canon of the cathedral
of Milan. After the abdication and death of
Charles V., Titian continued in great favour with
his successor Philip II., for whom he painted se-
veral pictures. It is not true, however, that Titian
visited Spain : the assertion that he did so rests on
the sole authority of Palomino,, a Spanish writer on