Titian transformed the European portrait of the 16th century by giving the resemblance an unprecedented physical, social and psychological presence. Born in Pieve di Cadore around 1490 and died in Venice in 1576, he painted the Italian aristocracy before being presented by Federico II Gonzaga to Charles V. His effigies of the emperor and then of Philip II became prototypes copied in the Habsburg territories. Authority does not depend on an accumulation of emblems: armor, a glove, a chain, a dog or the position of a hand are enough to define rank. The posthumous portrait of Isabella of Portugal, painted in 1548 from an earlier image, seeks less documentary fidelity than the idealized memory preserved by Charles V. Federico Gonzague associates the dog with his loyalty and personal taste. In the Self-portrait around 1562, the Golden Spur chain affirms the nobility of the painter, while the brush recalls the origin of his elevation. Anonymous figures, such as The Man with the Glove, show another strength: deep black, mobile gaze and eloquent hands construct an identity without explicit narrative. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colorful material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colorful material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the colored material seems to make the skin, fabrics and space breathe. Throughout his career, the touch is released and the details.
Titian does not only paint a face: he adjusts the exact distance between the model, her rank and the gaze of the person facing her.