BIOGRAPHY

Titian was born in Pieve di Cadore, in c.1488/1490 and he died on August 27, 1576. In English he is known as Titian.  Titian was a renaissance painter.  He arrived in Venice when he was 9. His teachers were: Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione. 

Titian used colors in a new way, applying them quickly and without preparatory drawings, so his paintings have more energy and realism.  

In 1533, he became pintor primeo (in English it means official painter) of Charles V. During the last years of his life, he researched  new painting techniques, for example painting with fingers.

Allegory of Prudence (1550–1565)

The Allegory of Prudence is attributed to the Italian artist Titian. 

The three human heads represent the three ages of man (from left to right: old age, maturity and youth). Above all of these heads there are three animal heads (from the left to the right: a wolf, a lion, and a dog) to represent how time passes (past, present, future). .

Above the portraits there is an inscription in Latin: “EX PRÆTE/RITO | PRÆSENS PRVDEN/TER AGIT | NI FVTVRA / ACTIONĒ DE/TVRPET”. We can translate into English like: “from the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions”.

There is a play of light in the painting. The light completely illuminates the young man’s face and does not illuminate the old man’s face; so light is like life: when it is missing, death comes.

This painting is very expressive, and it can speak to everyone because it tells about the passing of time.