Discussion 5: Rona Goffen, Titian's Venus of Urbino

     The Venus of Urbino was given to Duke Giodobaldo della Rovere in 1538.  The pose of the women is very similar to Giorgoine's Sleeping Venus, before that time no one had painted the Venus reclining while nude. Unlike Giorgoine's venus who leaves the viewer guessing as to why she is sleeping naked in the middle of a landscape; the context of Titian's Venus is much clearer. She's reclining at home in her bed while her servants in the background are either taking out or putting away her clothes. Those servants along with the dog (a symbol of fidelity) make it clear that she is married.

    Titian's intent for the painting is less clear as the author Goffen brings up. Goffen brings up the question as to whether or not Titian was a misogynist. The culture in which Titian lived no doubt colored his view of women as to what women should be as far as ideal beauty and behavior were concerned and how women should be sexually. While the nudity of the woman will inherently bring to mind sexuality, perhaps Titian was more interested in capturing the beauty of the female form rather than making an erotic image. He gives the women her own dignity as she looks directly at the viewer making her more than an impassive object for men to look at.