Portrait of Eleanor Gonzaga della Rover, Titian 
- Posted by Titian Vecellio
- Museum: Uffizi Gallery
- Year: 15Z6-15Z7
Overview of the painting :
Portrait of Eleanor Gonzaga della Rover – Titian Vecellio. 15Z6-15Z7. Oil on canvas. 114x10Z
Usually Titian (1488 / 1490-1576), creating paintings on mythological and Christian stories, as well as fantasy portraits like Flora, was free in picturesque means. But, portraying noble persons, he seemed to become the secular person who was in life. Loving life and knowing how to enjoy it, he nevertheless knew well what the conventions of etiquette were. Therefore, the portrait presents primarily an aristocrat from a noble Italian family, sitting in a ceremonial position and dressed in a luxurious outfit. The artist carefully conveyed both velvet looseness and gold brilliance, and lace airiness.
Titian emphasizes the dignity of Eleanor and through it – its virtue, this concept was important for the Renaissance. The face of the model is fearless, and only a gentle blush on white skin and brown eyes, glowing with the mind and strength, revive it and make it feel the character of a woman who exists within the framework prescribed by her estate. If it is true that Eleanor served as a muse to Titian when writing paintings such as “Girl in a fur cloak” and especially “Venus Urbinskaya”, then you can imagine the range of possibilities of this painter: he was able to fantasize about the appearance of women he liked, and write strict ceremonial portraits.