DOI Artikel:
Cook, Herbert Frederick: When was Titian born?
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61695#0112
When was Titian born?
I must thank Dr. Georg Gronau for bis very fair reply, published
in these pages1) to my article in the Nineteenth Century on the subject
of Titian’s age.2) He bas also most kindly pointed out two pieces of
Contemporary evidence which had escaped my notice, and althougb neither
of these passages is conclusive proof one way or the other, they deserve
to be reckoned with in arriving at a decision.
Dr. Gronau formulates the evidence shortly thus:
Vasari in 1566 or 1567 says Titian is over 76
The Spanish Consul in 1567 „ „ 85
Titian himself in 1571 „ he is 95
and he adds that this new piece of evidence, viz., the letter of the
Spanish Consul to King Philip, instead of helping us, only makes the con-
fusion worse.
What then are we to think when yet another — a fourth — Con-
temporary Statement turns up, differing from any of the 3 just quoted?
Yet such a letter exists, and I am happy in my turn to point out this
fresh piece of evidence, in the hope that instead of making the confusion
worse, it will help us to arrive at some decision.
On October the 15th 1564 Garcia Hernandez, Envoy inVenice from
King Philip II, writes to the King his Master that Titian begged that
His Majesty would condescend to Order that he should be paid what was
due to him from the court and from Milan For the rest the
painter was in fine condition, and quite capable of work, and this was
the time, if ever, to get „other things“ from him, as according to
some people who knew him, Titian was about 90 years old, though he
did not show it, and for money everything was to be had of him.3)
In 1564 then the Spanish Envoy writes that Titian was said to be
about 90. Let us then enlarge Dr. Gronau’s table by this additional
Statement, and further complete it by including the earliest piece of evi-
dence, the Statement of Dolce in 1557 that Titian was scarcely 20 when
!) XXIV. Band. 6. Heft, p. 457.
2) January 1902, pp. 123—130.
3) Quoted from Crowe and Cavalcaselle. II. 344. The Spanish original is
given at p, 535.
I must thank Dr. Georg Gronau for bis very fair reply, published
in these pages1) to my article in the Nineteenth Century on the subject
of Titian’s age.2) He bas also most kindly pointed out two pieces of
Contemporary evidence which had escaped my notice, and althougb neither
of these passages is conclusive proof one way or the other, they deserve
to be reckoned with in arriving at a decision.
Dr. Gronau formulates the evidence shortly thus:
Vasari in 1566 or 1567 says Titian is over 76
The Spanish Consul in 1567 „ „ 85
Titian himself in 1571 „ he is 95
and he adds that this new piece of evidence, viz., the letter of the
Spanish Consul to King Philip, instead of helping us, only makes the con-
fusion worse.
What then are we to think when yet another — a fourth — Con-
temporary Statement turns up, differing from any of the 3 just quoted?
Yet such a letter exists, and I am happy in my turn to point out this
fresh piece of evidence, in the hope that instead of making the confusion
worse, it will help us to arrive at some decision.
On October the 15th 1564 Garcia Hernandez, Envoy inVenice from
King Philip II, writes to the King his Master that Titian begged that
His Majesty would condescend to Order that he should be paid what was
due to him from the court and from Milan For the rest the
painter was in fine condition, and quite capable of work, and this was
the time, if ever, to get „other things“ from him, as according to
some people who knew him, Titian was about 90 years old, though he
did not show it, and for money everything was to be had of him.3)
In 1564 then the Spanish Envoy writes that Titian was said to be
about 90. Let us then enlarge Dr. Gronau’s table by this additional
Statement, and further complete it by including the earliest piece of evi-
dence, the Statement of Dolce in 1557 that Titian was scarcely 20 when
!) XXIV. Band. 6. Heft, p. 457.
2) January 1902, pp. 123—130.
3) Quoted from Crowe and Cavalcaselle. II. 344. The Spanish original is
given at p, 535.