Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 8.djvu/54

 230 ARTISTS AND AUTHORS emperor he received a present of a thousand crowns of gold, and the artist was made a cavalier, or knight, by his majesty, with a revenue of two hundred crowns yearly, secured on the treasury of Naples, and attached to his title. When Titian painted Filippo, King of Spain, the son of Charles, he received another annuity of two hundred crowns ; so that these four hundred, added to the three hundred from the German Exchange, make him a fixed income of seven hundred crowns, which he possesses without the necessity of exerting him- self in any manner. Titian presented the portraits of Charles V. and his son Filippo to the Duke Cosimo, who has them now in his Guardaroba. He also took the portrait of Ferdinand, King of the Romans, who was afterward em- peror, with those of his children, Maximilian, that is to say, now emperor, and his brother ; he likewise painted the Queen Maria ; and at the command of the Emperor Charles, he portrayed the Duke of Saxony, when the latter was in prison. But what a waste of time is this ! when there has scarcely been a noble of high rank, scarcely a prince or lady of great name, whose portrait has not been taken by Titian, who in that branch of art is indeed an excellent painter. All these works, with many others which I omit to avoid prolixity, have been executed up to the present age of our artist, which is above seventy-six years. Titian has been always healthy and happy ; he has been favored beyond the lot of most men, and has received from Heaven only favors and blessings. In his house he has entertained whatever princes, literati, or men of distinction have gone to or dwelt in Venice ; for, to say nothing of his excellence in art, he has always distinguished himself by courtesy, hospitality, and rectitude. Titian has had some rivals in Venice, but not of any great ability, wherefore he has easily overcome them by the superiority of his art ; while he has also ren- dered himself acceptable to the gentlemen of the city. He has gained a fair amount of wealth, his labors having always been well paid ; and it would have been well if he had worked for his amusement alone during these latter years, that he might not have diminished the reputation gained in his best days by works of inferior merit, performed at a period of life when nature tends inevi- tably to decline, and consequent imperfection. In the year 1566, when Vasari, the writer of the present history, was at Ven- ice, he went to visit Titian, as one who was his friend, and found him, although then very old, still with the pencils in his hand and painting busily. Great pleas- ure had Vasari in beholding his works and in conversing with the master. It may be affirmed, then, that Titian, having adorned Venice, or rather all Italy, and other parts of the world, with excellent paintings, well merits to be loved and respected by artists, and in many things to be admired and imitated also, as one who has produced, and is producing, work of infinite merit ; nay, such as must endure while the memory of illustrious men shall remain.