Titian's allegory of marriage: new approaches

Abstract

This book offers nine new approaches toward a single work of art, Titian's 'Allegory of Marriage or Allegory of Alfonso d'Avalos', dated to 1530/5. In earlier references, the painting was named simply 'Allegory', alluding to its enigmatic nature. The work follows in a tradition of such ambiguous Venetian paintings as Giovanni Bellini's 'Sacred Allegory' and Giorgione's 'Tempest'. Throughout the years, Titian's 'Allegory' has engendered a range of diverse interpretations. Art historians such as Hans Tietze, Erwin Panofsky, Walter Friedlaender, and Louis Hourticq, to mention only a few, promoted various explanations. This book offers novel approaches and suggests new meanings toward a further understanding of this somewhat abstruse painting.