The Foreground Is
Filled With Prophets And Saints Of The First Dignity, And A Kneeling
Woman, Whose Face Is Not Visible, But Whose Attitude And Drapery Are
Drawn With The Sinuous And Undulating Grace Of That Hand Which Could Not
Fail.
Every figure is turned to the enthroned Deity, touched with
ineffable light.
The artist has painted heaven, and is not absurd. In
that age of substantial faith such achievements were possible.
There are two Venuses by Titian very like that of Dresden, but the heads
have not the same dignity; and a Danae which is a replica of the Vienna
one. His Salome bearing the Head of John the Baptist is one of the
finest impersonations of the pride of life conceivable. So
unapproachable are the soft lights and tones on the perfect arms and
shoulders of the full-bodied maiden, that Tintoret one day exclaimed in
despair before it, "That fellow paints with ground flesh."
This gallery possesses one of the last works of Titian, - the Battle of
Lepanto, which was fought when the artist was ninety-four years of age.
It is a courtly allegory, - King Philip holds his little son in his arms,
a courier angel brings the news of victory, and to the infant a
palm-branch and the scroll Majora tibi. Outside you see the smoke and
flash of a naval battle, and a malignant and tur-baned Turk lies bound
on the floor. It would seem incredible that this enormous canvas should
have been executed at such an age, did we not know that when the pest
cut the mighty master off in his hundredth year he was busily at work
upon a Descent from the Cross, which Palma the Elder finished on his
knees and dedicated to God:
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