Artists develop visual codes and visual language to communicate ideas in their artworks. This is specifically seen through Giorgio da Castelfranco (Giorgione), Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) and Edouard Manet, where each artist successfully incorporates their own ideas into their artwork.
Titian and Giorgione are both Italian painters born in the same century – Giorgione in 1477/8 and Titian in 1488. Manet however is a French painter and was born in 1832, coming from a completely separate century. Each artist has an artwork that features a reclining nude where they communicate their own techniques and ideas into the works.The use of the reclining nude conveys the role of the woman as perceived by men as an object to be viewed or desired.
Giorgione came from the small town of Castelfranco Veneto in Venice. He was extremely influential to other artists and was one of the initiators of High Renaissance style in Venetian art. There is little record of his early life, however it is shown that Giorgione served his apprenticeship with Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini in 1490, who is well known to have revolutionised Venetian painting. His colour, technique and mood of his paintings are clearly related to Bellini’s late style.
Giorgione died in 1510 in Venice, Italy at age 33. He was known to be the first Italian to paint landscapes with figures as moveable pictures in their own frames, and the first to use glowing and melting intensity in his works. One of Giorgione’s works includes the artwork Sleeping Venus or The Dresden Venus created in 1510. It is oil on canvas and measures 108 by 175cm. The reclining figure is used across the whole width of the painting making a long, continuous slope of body where the goddess’ curves echo the curves of hillside, easing the viewer’s gaze and relaxing the eyes.The landscape consists of buildings, trees and mountains.
The use of an external landscape to frame a nude is innovative where the glowing landscape fills the space behind her, framing her spirituality. Venus’ sensuality is explored through her red lips and the deep red velvet and white satin material on which her pale body lies. The outlines of the body are blurred to create a gradual transition from the main focus of the body to the surrounding backdrop. Giorgione uses tones of light and dark to create an illusion of three-dimensionality.
He successfully achieves the expression of remoteness and unself-conscious beauty as a majestic and idealistic figure. Universal beauty is used to express Venus as a goddess. To add mystery, Venus being asleep means that she is spirited away from accessibility to her conscious expression. Giorgione was conscious of a viewer gazing at the painting as he tilted Venus’ body in such a way so that all of her ideal aspects are clearly visible to the viewer. She appears to be floating over the ground in an effort to show off her lovely form.Titian was apprenticed to Giorgione for three years and finished Sleeping Venus after Giorgione’s death in 1510.
This artwork became one of the greatest themes of European art with the nude in an idealised landscape setting. Venus was not painted for sexual desire but was painted merely as a goddess sleeping, unaware of a viewer peaking on her. Giorgione developed a large range of visual elements to direct the viewers’ gaze and to communicate his subject and purpose to the viewer. Titian left his hometown of Pieve di Cadore at the age of 9 or 10, to also study with painter Giovanni Bellini in Venice.His first documented reference was in 1508 where he met Giorgione and was commissioned to paint frescos with him. Giorgione highly influenced Titian’s style by teaching him figures in ideal settings and creating moods such as fear, mystery and passion.
Titian’s colours became deep and intense, but harmonious and balanced, making him a master of the High Renaissance style of art. He represented themes with originality, mood and a new sense of beauty where the reclining nude was a clear representation of females in Western art. Titian died in 1576 aged 85 in Venice.An artwork of Titian’s that is currently commissioned in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is the oil on canvas Venus of Urbino, created in 1538 and measuring 1. 19m by 1.
65m. Venus of Urbino was painted for Duke Guidobaldo II of Urbino when Titian was 50 years old. Venus is the name given to the goddess of love and beauty and shows her in a natural and peaceful lying pose where she radiates a sense of grace and calmness. She symbolises sensual Renaissance beauty and an idealistic figure with soft glowing skin, a well-rounded figure, small breasts, strong neck and smallish head.
Her soft-glowing skin creates a sensual appeal where the fair skin stands out against the dark background, where Titian uses deep red and dark green to create a warm colour harmony. The realistic rendering of her body creates an atmosphere of intimacy yet she still achieves a look of ideal female beauty. Venus is depicted as a reclining nude openly available for pleasure, yet her hand is placed in a traditional position of modesty where she covers her genitals from view.Titian successfully depicts Venus in a submissive, relaxed and composed mood where she gazes seductively yet meekly at the viewer, showing an awareness not only of the viewer but also of her beauty.
The mood of Venus gives a sense of refinement and calmness throughout the artwork. Titian adds a bracelet, small ring and earrings to reinforce Venus’ femininity while the luxury of the house and the maids in the background reinforce her status. The small dog situated at the end of her bed symbolises fidelity but is also a connection with the maids to direct the viewers’ eyes.The classical theme of the artwork only slightly veils the erotic intentions from Titian. Titian uses many visual codes that are left for the interpretation of the viewer and he also communicates his ideas specifically through colours and symbols. Born in Paris, France to a magistrate and diplomat’s daughter, Manet belonged to an upper-class household with strong political connections.
His parents disapproved of his interest in painting but his Uncle supported his early interests and arranged frequent trips to the Louvre for him where he would copy the works of masters while adapting them according to his own style.His father finally gave in a decade later and supported his dream of attending art school. At age 18, Manet began studying under Thomas Couture where he learnt the basics of drawing and painting. Manet was extremely successful in realism but he also adopted a more impressionist technique and colour range using broad brushstrokes.
His subjects centered on everyday people doing everyday tasks. Manet died in 1883 aged 51 in his hometown of Paris. Trying his hardest to get accepted into the Salon, Manet submitted his oil on canvas artwork Olympia, heavily inspired by Titian’s artwork Venus of Urbino.Olympia however measures 130. 5 by 190cm, was painted in 1863 and is currently located in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.
The interpretation of this image had mostly negative feedback and was rejected by the 1865 Salon. Manet uses strong brushstrokes where Olympia is mostly painted as an outline with sudden changes in colour to create an unfinished look. Instead of a smooth idealised nude, Manet painted a woman whose nakedness is starkly emphasised by the harsh light where mid-tones, large colour surfaces and shallow depth is eliminated.The fact that Olympia was a prostitute who stares confidently with an unwavering glance at the viewer was extremely shocking at the time.
This was so shocking as a woman in general, let alone a prostitute, is never to stare directly at anyone yet this woman dares to stare out and meet the viewers’ eyes. There is also an African-Caribbean woman instead of a maid, and she holds a posy of flowers that Olympia seems to ignore, suggesting it is not a first time occurrence. Painting a black woman was another sexualised reference that Manet incorporated.A third sexual reference includes the positioning of Olympia’s hand where she firmly protects her genitals as if to emphasise her independence and sexual domination over men. Manet chooses to replace Titian’s loyal dog at Venus’ feet by using a cat whose back is arched.
He also incorporates jewelry such as her bracelet, earrings and an orchid in her hair as symbols of wealth. The way in which the artwork is painted, with the obvious contrast of dark of the background and light of Olympia draws much attention to the subject of the painting.Manet successfully incorporates his own ideas to create a separate artwork from Titian, while combining elements from Titian’s artwork such as the hand over the genitals. Each artist successfully communicates their own ideas into their artworks through the use of visual codes and language.
They each use a focal point to focus the viewer’s eyes. Giorgione uses a focal point of the stark white of the female against the darker background where the viewer looks at the reclining figure first, and then their eyes are guided out into the background.Titian and Manet have a similar technique as Giorgione, using the reclining figure as the lighter colour to stand out against the darker background. However, in Titians, the viewers’ eyes are then guided towards the dog and two servants before observing the background.
While observing Manet’s artwork, the viewer’s eyes are guided to the Negro servant. Giorgione, Titian and Manet all feature an artwork with a reclining nude and each leave a legacy to be followed by other successful artists.
