BASILICA OF THE FRIARS Pesaro Madonna - Titian

1:50

You are now standing before another masterpiece by Titian; this one dominates the altar of the Immaculate Conception: the Pesaro Madonna. This large painting was commissioned to celebrate the glories of the family of Jacopo Pesaro, who was the victorious leader against the Turks and later became the bishop of Paphos on Cyprus. The warrior bishop can be seen kneeling in the lower left next to figures symbolizing his military victories; the opposite side depicts other members of his family, including a little boy staring out of the painting with a lively expression.

The painting was completed in 1526 and required a lot of work: Titian took seven years to finish it! You should know that until then, Venetian altars always depicted the Madonna and saints in a triangle, with the Madonna in the center. In this painting Titian courageously did the opposite: he moved the Madonna from the center over to the right, a trick that gave the group of figures a cadence and energy that had never been seen before. Another innovative architectural detail is the two giant columns that rise high above the clouds behind the Madonna and Child.

The dramatic effect of the composition is exalted by the colors' richness, including the flag's reds,Senator Francesco Pesaro's toga, and the golden yellow of St. Peter's mantle. With this painting, Titian reached maturity and directed Venetian art towards a previously unknown liveliness.

 

FUN FACT: to the right of baby Jesus, the painting also depicts St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony of Padua. The presence of these two saints, both Franciscans and members of this church, is also probably explained by the fact that Jacopo Pesaro, who commissioned the painting, had two brothers called Francesco and Antonio.

 

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Venice
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Venice for
€ 8,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
VENICE INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

VENICE INTRODUCTION

Venice has no equal. The whole city is built on the sea, on wooden piles: the buildings, squares and streets rest on the piles, most of which have remained intact for centuries and which run down...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

A typically Venetian starter is sarde in saor, fried sardines served with onions caramelized in vinegar, pine-nuts and raisins. The recipe originated from the sailors’ need to preserve food for...
ST. MARK'S
10 Audio

ST. MARK'S

Between a million pigeons, tourists, the café tables, and small orchestras, during daytime the square is always crowded. Consider that the esplanade in front of the cathedral was built starting...
DOGE'S PALACE
8 Audio

DOGE'S PALACE

I suggest admiring both sides of its exterior first before visiting its interior. It will be like plunging into the history of Venice, the queen of the seas!You should know that the Doge's Palace was...
GRAND CANAL
8 Audio

GRAND CANAL

You can see the canal all in one go by letting the banks pass you by from the windows of a vaporetto, or you can make a number of stops: each of the main buildings have their own dedicated audio...
ACCADEMIA GALLERY
10 Audio

ACCADEMIA GALLERY

For many centuries, the only bridge that remained standing over the Grand Canal was the Rialto Bridge: the other two only came after the mid-nineteenth century, were immediately indispensable and...
RIALTO BRIDGE
2 Audio

RIALTO BRIDGE

Of course the best viewpoint of the Rialto Bridge is from the water, and you've probably already seen it from a boat; even if the bridge is quite impressive when you pass under it, it's just as...
GUGGENHEIM
2 Audio

GUGGENHEIM

In 1948 the palace was bought by the whimsical collector and art dealer Peggy Guggenheim, who was fascinated by this unusual building. Guggenheim's life was like a story from a novel: born in New...
BASILICA OF THE FRIARS
7 Audio

BASILICA OF THE FRIARS

As you've probably already noticed, Venice isn't always easy to navigate what with its squares, hidden alleys, and tiny streets that lead directly to the water... It helps if you identify some...
SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO
4 Audio

SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which is located at the Basilica of the Frari and next to the church dedicated to the saint, is one of the most famous, not only for the building's Renaissance...
CORRER MUSEUM
3 Audio

CORRER MUSEUM

In the main museum in St. Mark's Square, which also extends to the rooms of the Napoleonica Wing, you'll find two very interesting collections: the historical memorabilia of the Republic of Venice,...
SAN ZANIPOLO
7 Audio

SAN ZANIPOLO

You are near one of the jewels of the city's Gothic architecture. The church of Saints John and Paul, known by the Venetians as San Zanìpolo, was built in 1200 by the Dominicans in this large...
CÀ REZZONICO
3 Audio

CÀ REZZONICO

You've surely already admired the palace while passing it on the Grand Canal: can you imagine a better place for hosting 18th-century paintings, furniture, and objects? The collections come from...
LA FENICE THEATER
1 Audio

LA FENICE THEATER

Even if you've never been here before, you'll probably already recognize the interior of this historic building from the fantastic New Year's concerts broadcast on TV. If it's true that fate is...
CÀ D'ORO
3 Audio

CÀ D'ORO

Ca' d'Oro was built in the first half of the 15th century for the aristocrat Marino Contarini: the building's project was designed by Lombard master builders, but its decoration was entrusted to a...
BIENNALE
2 Audio

BIENNALE

With celebrations, festivals, concerts, theater seasons, art exhibitions, and film, you'll never be bored in Venice! The Biennale is an eagerly awaited date that's held in odd-numbered years,...
THE GHETTO
3 Audio

THE GHETTO

The area was connected to the rest of the city by just these two small bridges, which you can still recognize today by the the stone slabs where the rules were engraved. In doing so the Ghetto could...
MURANO
3 Audio

MURANO

When choosing a souvenir from Venice (which range from expensive leather masks to small plastic gondolas), you will be offered a large assortment of glassware: colored beads, blown glass animals,...
MARCIANA LIBRARY
3 Audio

MARCIANA LIBRARY

Sansovino was practically adopted by Venice: he had been named Protomastro, which meant he was responsible for public buildings in the city, a position that allowed him to create splendid official...
SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI
2 Audio

SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI

Vittore Carpaccio is one of the protagonists of the Venetian Renaissance, famous above all for the great narrative scenes he painted for the "Schools", which were typical Venetian welfare...
ARSENAL
1 Audio

ARSENAL

This boat production complex was established shortly after the year 1000, and became the most highly concentrated workforce throughout Europe, reaching approximately 3,000 employees. Just think, the...
SAN SEBASTIANO
1 Audio

SAN SEBASTIANO

Little by little Paolo Veronese, the clearest and most festive painter of the full Venetian Renaissance, turned this church into a chamber of wonders. If you look around, you'll find that he has...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!