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Assumption of the Virgin
Titian · Renaissance & Mannerism
- Artist
- Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, c. 1488–1576)
- Date
- 1516–1518
- Dimensions
- 690 x 360 cm
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Location
- Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy
Titian's Assumption is a towering altarpiece above the high altar of the Frari church in Venice. It shows the Virgin Mary rising bodily into heaven on a cloud borne by angels, while the apostles below gesture in wonder.
A closer look
The composition is built in three tiers. Below, the apostles, in shadow, stretch their arms upwards in amazement. In the middle, Mary, in a red dress and blue mantle, rises on a cloud packed with cherubs, her arms spread and her face turned towards the light. At the top, God the Father floats in a golden glow, ready to receive her. The brilliant reds and the dynamic, upward movement were revolutionary; this was Titian's first great public commission and it established him as the leading painter of Venice.
History of the painting
After its unveiling in 1518 the altarpiece stayed above the high altar of the Frari for three centuries. In 1817 it was moved to the new Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, where it was displayed as a museum piece; in 1919 it was returned to the Frari and set back in its original marble frame, where visitors see it today as Titian intended, glowing above the length of the nave.
