Titan's Charles V

Titian is a unique painter in the canon of Western art: according to Vasari, he was the most popular painter of his day and excelled more than any other at capturing the hearts of all the great nobles and leading figures not only in Venice but across all Europe. Titian's Equestrian Portrait of Charles V is a perfect example, not only of Titian's extraordinary talent but also of his ability to befriend his subjects and portray them as they were.

In his portrait of Charles, Titian depicts the Holy Roman Emperor poised like the legendary St. George, spear in hand, ready to do battle with the enemy. Charles sits upon his steed and faces an unseen threat, symbolized by the darkening sky behind him. The magnificence of the sky in the portrait prompted people to proclaim it one of the best ever, as it reflected the inner turmoil of the "soul" of Europe at the time (Hackenbroch 323).

The steed paws at the ground, eager to get to the battle, and Charles sits tall and straight in his saddle, as though about to charge. Charles at this time was the Catholic monarch, whose kingdom spanned from Spain to Germany. He was at war with both the Ottoman Turks and the Protestant rebels within his own lands. He and Titian shared the same faith and thus both understood the importance and significance of the religious wars conducted (Freeman 128).

Titian had already painted several portraits of the Emperor and had gotten to know him personally and on a friendly basis. In this painting, Titian portrays Charles V in heroic but human terms. The picture was commissioned by the Queen of Hungary painted at the Imperial Court of Augsburg between April and September of 1548 ("The Collection: Carlos V"). The purpose of the portrait was to memorialize Charles' victory in the Battle of Muhlburg in the April of the previous year.

What is remarkable about the painting is that Titian paints the emperor's age into the portrait yet does depict the frailty of age as an encumbrance but rather as an inspiring feature: the old king is resolute and determined, even though no longer in the prime of life. The painting's realism is seen in the fact that the armor worn by Charles is a representation of the actual armor he wore in battle. The armor and horses of the king were kept at the Royal Armory in Madrid.

While the painting predates the Baroque Era, it does pave the way for it: the dramatic use of light and dark as well as the realism and naturalism of the subject are typical styles of the Baroque Era. By the end of the 1550s, Titian's style had changed in terms of color choices: he preferred bold colors and stroke techniques that would later be used by Impressionist painters. Many Baroque Era painters actually served as a foundation for later Impressionists, such as Velazquez -- and Titian may count as one.

Since the Baroque Era grew out of and formed as a response to the Protestant Revolution ripping through Europe, it is not surprising to see Titian's portrait of Charles V, who fought against the Protestants, contain elements of that Era's style. Titian was born in 1474 to Gregorio and Lucia Vecelli (Jaffe 11). Titian apprenticed under Bellini, one of the leading artists of Venice. Bellini was an early influence on Titian, who by 1516 led the Venetian school of painting.

He painted works of art for the Catholic Church and for wealthy Catholic patrons, including kings of empires. Titian was not a secularist but rather a medieval man who stood side by side with Charles V as they peered over the edge of their world into the abyss of modernism. Titian's adult years were very active. He was one of the most successful painters of his time and he painted right up to his death.

He worked for many Catholic courts and corresponded with all the leading Catholic lights of the day, from Phillip II to Charles V. He was very influential for other artists who emerged in the Baroque Era, such as Rembrandt of the Dutch Golden Age, and Velazquez of Spain. He painted religious paintings as well as works representing classical mythology, which were in vogue at the time. However, his works at the end of his life were hazier and more focused on using bold colors.

These works represented the world of Europe that was literally being torn apart by religious wars and in-fighting. Titian died in Venice in 1576. He had lived to see the King of England apostatize and take most of his subjects into apostasy with him. He had lived to see Rome sacked by German mercenaries.

He had lived to see the great Council of Trent, over which two Jesuits presided to help tackle the great question of the time: what to do about the Protestant revolts? Titian's latest works represented the tension felt across Europe by all these events. He was witnessing the collapse of Christendom. Among Titian's greatest works is his Equestrian Portrait of Charles V (1548) and his mythological composition, The Rape of Europa (1560), which was later copied by Peter Paul Rubens, the.