Titian
~1488-1576 · Italian (Venetian) · Italian Renaissance
Known for: Greatest painter of the Venetian School, master of color and sensuous texture who painted for emperors
Titian was the supreme colorist of the Renaissance and the most powerful painter in Europe for over half a century. His Venus of Urbino, Bacchus and Ariadne, and portraits of Emperor Charles V set the standard for sensuous beauty and aristocratic grandeur.
He was shrewd, ambitious, and business-savvy - managing his career like a modern CEO, cultivating relationships with Europe's most powerful rulers. He lived to around 88, painting until his final days, and his late style anticipated Impressionism by three centuries.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.