The Titian Room

Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, 1488-1576) is the great Venetian artist of the Renaissance.

The Hermitage has 8 of his works most of them belonging to the latest period of his creative career when his talent was developed to the utmost.

Among them are such masterpieces as Danae (mid-16th century), Repentant Mary Magdalene (1560s) and St.Sebastian" (1570s).

Titian is famous for his great skills of using colors.

Danae

According to Ovid Danae was the daughter of the King of Argos, Acrisius. The Oracle predicted that Acrisius would be killed by his daughter's son. She was locked in a bronze dungeon by her father isolated from the rest of the world. Although aware of the consequences, Danaë was seduced and became pregnant by Zeus, who, inflamed by lust, descended from Mount Olympus and entered the tower in the form of a golden shower .

Titian gave the mythological heroine with the features of contemporary Venetian ladies. Her graceful nude body, vividly depicted, contrasts with that of the aged serving woman. The subject was popular in the 17^th century – one of opportunities to painted naked women body.

Repentant Mary Magdalene

“Repentant Mary” – 1560^th. Prays for forgiveness of her sins. The artist painted several versions on the same subject, this one was signed by the artist.

Mary Magdalene's story is closely linked with Jesus. She plays an important role in one of the most powerful and important scenes in the Gospels.

When Jesus is crucified by the Romans, Mary Magdalene was there supporting him in his final terrifying moments and mourning his death. She also discovers the empty tomb, and she's a witness to the resurrection. She was there at the beginning of a movement that was going to transform the West.

But the Mary Magdalene that lives in our memories is quite different. In art, she's often semi-naked, or an isolated hermit repenting for her sins in the wilderness: an outcast. Her primary link with Jesus is as the woman washing and anointing his feet. But we know her best as a prostitute.

The whole story of Mary as a prostitute, who is fallen and redeemed, is a very powerful image of redemption a signal that no matter how low one has fallen, one can be redeemed.

Powerful as this image may be, it is not the story of Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene is mentioned in each of the four gospels in the New Testament, but not once does it mention that she was a prostitute or a sinner. At some point Mary Magdalene became confused with two other women in the Bible: Mary, the sister of Martha, and the unnamed sinner from Luke's gospel (7:36-50) both of whom wash Jesus' feet with their hair. In the 6th Century, Pope Gregory the Great made this assumption official by declaring in a sermon that these three characters were actually the same person: Mary Magdalene, repentant saint. The Catholic Church did later declare that Mary Magdalene was not the repentant sinner, but this was not until 1969. After so long the reputation still lingers.

We know very little about Mary herself. The Bible provides no personal details of her age, status or family. However, her name, Mary of Magdala, could suggest something else altogether: she was unmarried. A married woman would have carried her husband's name and Mary didn't.

The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary. (Luke 8:2) Luke chapter 8, tells us that Mary was one of Jesus' followers and travelled with him.

Titian's depiction is filled with emotional force, we can see the perfect image of a troubled soul. It`s not only due to the depiction of Mary, but due to dynamic dark and expressive landscape in the background.