Titian's Venus of Urbino, by Goffen

Titian's career took off in Venice when he studied painting under Giovanni Bellini. He quickly became well known and recognized as an international painter. Besides many of the portraits he painted, he was well known for his nude woman, particularly, Venus of Urbino from 1538. This nude was considered much more scandalous than other nudes painted at the time. Male forms were predominantly shown nude, causing discussion about his subject matter and whether or not it was pornographic and if Titian was a misogynist.

Because prostitution was practiced at the time, it isn't clear whether or not the subject of the painting is based off a prostitute and if so, what implications come with that. The female figure is lying down on a bed, supported by pillows. She engages with the viewer, looking directly at them while her breasts are fully exposed. The red showing on the corner of the bed draw your eye back to the same red on the servants dress. Though Titian did use prostitutes to pose for paintings, does it matter that they were prostitutes, or is it more of an investigation on the female form and Titian's interest in portraying woman differently than ordinary renaissance portraits. For me, the painting does not evoke an erotic or sexual feeling, however is obviously more sensual than other portraits of woman for the time it was painted. I think Titian was interested in exploring new ideas and breaking new boundaries, though it will never be perfectly clear what exactly Titian had in mind when he was painting it.