Titian's Pietro Aretino (Frick Diptych)

The Frick Diptych series features essays by Frick curators paired with contributions from contemporary artists and writers to explore a single work of art in the Frick Collection. Titian's portrait of Pietro Aretino, known for his literary flattery and blackmail, showcases his intellectual power and worldliness.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 72 pages
\n Publication date: 08 March 2021
\n Publisher: D Giles Ltd
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The Frick Diptych series, curated with the aim of captivating both specialists and non-specialists alike, presents a captivating exploration of a single work from the renowned Frick Collection. Each volume in this series features an insightful essay by a Frick curator, complemented by a contribution from a contemporary artist or writer.

In the captivating Frick Diptych series, Xavier F. Salomon, Frick Curator, collaborates with the esteemed author Francine Prose to bring to life one of Titian's most intimate and revealing portraits. Pietro Aretino, a versatile writer known for his lives of saints, scurrilous verses, comedies, tragedies, and countless letters, achieved considerable wealth and influence through literary flattery and blackmail. While details of his early years remain largely unknown, by 1527, he had established a permanent residence in Venice. Among Aretino's esteemed friends and patrons were prominent figures of his time, who bestowed upon him gold chains, including the one prominently displayed in this portrait. Intimate in his relationships, Aretino enjoyed a close bond with Titian, who painted at least three portraits of him. In this particular rendition, Titian skillfully conveys Aretino's intellectual prowess through the sharp, commanding head and his worldly demeanor through the robust and substantial figure adorned in lavish robes.

Francine Prose, an award-winning author and esteemed member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, contributes her literary expertise to the Frick Diptych series. Xavier F. Salomon, serving as Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator at The Frick Collection, New York, brings his extensive knowledge and curatorial expertise to enrich the readers' experience with insightful essays and captivating visual illustrations.

\n Weight: 450g\n
Dimension: 197 x 243 x 12 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781911282716\n \n