The Change in SymbolismAuthor(s): Rudolf WittkowerReviewed work(s):Source: Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 3, No. 1/2 (Oct., 1939 - Jan.,1940), pp. 138-140Published by: The Warburg InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/750198 .Accessed: 22/04/2012 05:28

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES TITIAN'S ALLEGORY OF "RELIGION SUCCOURED

BY SPAIN" I. THE CHANGE IN SYMBOLISM

After Titian had finished Bellini's "Feast of the Gods" for the Duke Alfonso I

d'Este around the year 1516, he went on to paint for him the celebrated series of mythological pictures, the "Worship of Ve- nus," the "Bacchanal" and "Bacchus and Ariadne"; a religious painting, the "Tri- bute Money"; and the portraits of the Duke himself and of his mistress, Laura Dianti. Alfonso's patronage of Titian has been critically studied by Gronaul; but he does not mention the last picture, commissioned by the Duke, and left unfinished at his death in 1534 in the artist's studio. It has long been realized that this is the picture, now known as "Religion succoured by Spain," which Titian altered about 40 years later for Philip II (P1. 25b). This is made clear by Vasari who saw the picture in its original state in 1566 and describes it as follows :

He also started many years ago a picture for Alfonso I Duke of Ferrara showing a young woman naked and bowing before Minerva, and another figure next to her; and the sea, where far away Neptune appears in his chariot. But, on account of the death of the Duke, according to whose idea he was executing the work, it was not finished and remained with Titian.2

The picture, as we know it to-day, agrees in general with this passage. But it is hardly probable that after so long a lapse of time and under entirely new conditions Titian merely finished off his earlier design. Mac- Laren's close analysis of the brush-work3 enables us to distinguish, with some certainty, between the parts finished before 1534 and those added in the seventies. It is evident in any case that in the early unfinished state all the elements were missing which now give a religious significance to the figures : the flag on the lance, the cross and the chalice. The figure of Minerva shows that Titian first had a mythological allegory in mind. Who, then, was the figure facing Minerva? Her nakedness suggests that she was Venus.

Minerva appears as the virgin in unwarlike dress with her armour at her feet. In short, this is the old subject of Virtue and Vice, Castitas and Voluptas; but, as in another series of Renaissance pictures,4 the theme is not treated as a Psychomachy,-i.e. as a violent contest between Virtue and Vice-it is rather a peaceful reconciliation of the two opposites, for Venus bows humbly before the victorious approach of Minerva.

So far the subject is in line with a philoso- phical and artistic trend which spread from Florence,5 and Titian's picture is, like Botticelli's "Minerva and the Centaur," an allegory of the humble capitulation of Vice before the inherent superiority of Virtue. The conciliatory spirit of the main figures suggests that the raised sword of the woman accompanying Minerva should not be inter- preted as a menacing gesture towards the figure of Vice; it is, in fact, a common symbol for Justice. As Minerva appears unarmed and in her character of "Pacifica," the implication seems to be that Justice is one of the virtues which accompanies peace. The union of Pax and Justitia is a subject often illustrated, on the basis of the passage in Psalm 85 : "Justitia et pax osculatae sunt."

But there are certain elements in Titian's first version which cannot be interpreted with the same degree of certainty as can the main figures. If the interpretation for them is right, it is reasonable to suppose that the head of the warrior looking at the spectator from behind the figure of Justice was, in the first state, a portrait of Alfonso I of Ferrara appearing on the side of Peace and Justice. Thus Titian's picture was intended to glorify Alfonso's virtuous government, just as Botticelli's "Minerva and the Centaur" was a tribute to that of Lorenzo de' Medici.6

By slight changes Titian ingeniously put a completely new meaning into his picture. The flag on her lance transforms Minerva into an allegory of the Church. This transformation is not surprising; for Minerva

1 Jahrbuch d. kunsthist. Sammlg. 1928, p. 233 ff. 2 Vasari ed. Milanesi, VII, p. 458. 3 Cf. second part of this note.

* The relevant material is collected in my article in this Journal II, p. 194 ff.

5 Ibid., p. 199 if. 6 The figure of Neptune in his chariot must still

be explained. Though appearing in the background it occupies an important position in the centre of the picture. It is a constant thesis of Renaissance philosophy that the element of water unites opposites, because water joins heaven and earth. And it is worth noticing that in other representations of the peaceful union of Minerva and Venus water and ships regularly appear in the background.

138

TITIAN'S ALLEGORY OF "RELIGION SUCCOURED BY SPAIN" I39 as a symbol of the Virgin Mary was a current conception.1 The accompanying figure could be used unchanged in the new context, for she now carries the sword of the Church. Sword and flag are the signs of the Church Militant and Triumphant. But here the two signs are not given equal prominence. The Church Militant is subordinate to the magnificent figure of the Church Trium- phant, who holds in her right hand a shield bearing the arms of Spain and thus shows that she represents particularly the triumph of the Spanish Church. The presence of this shield and the identity of the patron suggest that the portrait of Alfonso has been changed into that of Philip II.2

The transformation of Venus is equally interesting. A comparison with Titian's late paintings of the Magdalen reveals the artist's intention. According to iconographic tradi- tion the Magdalen kneels on a stone; her attribute, the cross, appears beside her; and a striking characteristic is the contrast between the voluptuous treatment of the flesh and the penitent expression.

The chalice next to the cross is not a customary attribute of the Magdalen. But cross and chalice together are symbols of Fides. While Minerva stands for the Church Triumphant, the Magdalen represents Sin redeemed by Faith. There are two trees behind the Magdalen which probably did not appear in this form in the first version; the larger is covered with leaves, and round the smaller, a dead stump, are coiled seven snakes; these allude to the seven devils, i.e. deadly sins, which were driven out of the Magdalen (Luke VIII, 2). The dead stump is therefore the Tree of Knowledge, and the tree with foliage must be the Tree of Grace. It is hardly noticeable in an illustration that the stump grows out of a broken block of stone, behind the solid rock against which the cross is leaning. This is a contrast which suggests that the solid rock is the Rock of Faith. Both trees stand near the Magdalen, because she joins sin with salvation; and it is also for this reason that she kneels under the Tree of Grace. The contrast between the two sides is therefore not simply one of good and evil, conquest and defeat; it also embodies the peaceful submission of penitent sin to militant justice.

It is to be noticed that the chalice lies on its side, with the host falling out of it,3 a detail which suggests that the figure of the Magdalen is intended to embody a particular sin, namely the heretical proscrip- tion of the Mass. As Heresy here submits to the vigilant Church of Spain and finds salvation through penitence, the Church is able to abstain from a forcible suppression of the sinner; for the peace of Catholicism is restored.4

1 Journal II, pp. 199, 203 f. 2 The picture seems to have been cut on the left.

The army of women-heavenly champions of the Church-is added in the second stage.

S This detail is to be seen more clearly in the copy of the painting in the Palazzo Doria in Rome.

4 Something of the meaning of Titian's picture was still alive in the 17th century though not without curious misunderstandings. Cf. Fray Francisco de los Santos, Descripcion de San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid, 1698 (not in the 1657 edition), published by F. J. SAnchez Cant6n, Fuentes literarias para la historia del arte espailol, II, pp. 305-6. The reference was given to me by Miss Enriqueta Harris to whom I also owe the following translation :

Titian paints the Catholic Faith in the figure of a naked nude maiden, very chaste and beautiful, her knee placed on a stone, leaning against a tree which rises up with great pomp, and sad and afflicted because behind her, at a short distance, are seen several serpents that pursue her; some are coiled round a dry and sapless trunk which grows very little out of the earth, and others making their way along the ground itself as if to attack and harm her. This signifies that the stone on which Faith steadies herself . . . is the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Church; and the tree against which she leans, and which shades her, is Our Lord Christ, which was planted next to the current of the waters of the Passion and tribulations to give it the fruit of security in due time, with the invincibility of its patience. The dry trunk is the origin of heresies; which cannot have sap being so without roots and not admitting the watering of wise doctrine. The serpents that twist themselves round it and come out to attack are the heretics born of the serpent of Paradise, which whetting their venomous tongues seek, with the poison of their false dogma, to corrupt and poison Faith; and so the Chalice and Cross are seen here near the serpents on the ground, denoting the effects of their errors and impieties. For this reason Faith is indicated as afflicted and sad; and as if uttering clamorously those words with which David in the person of the Church and of Faith-seeing with prophetic eyes, so many years before, these persecutions, as St. Jerome explains-sought help and succour against his per- secutors and enemies : 'Apprende Arma, & Scutum, & exurge in auditorium mihi.' And without doubt the arteficer of this painting founded his idea on these words, for on the opposite side to Faith is seen Spain, as if awaiting her call, represented by a valiant woman in military costume, placed in her defence against the enemies that combat her, like another Pallas, set up with every perfection; in her left hand a lance with a red banner, which she turns (?) towards the sea which is seen near by; and in her right hand a shield, which is secured to the ground, with arms and crests of the most catholic Spanish kings. She is accompanied by Justice with naked sword in her hand, for she is always on the side of the defenders of Faith; and in her train is seen a multitude of

140 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

It is justifiable to conclude that the version painted for Philip II belongs to the religious disputes of the Counter-Reformation, and further that it is related to an act of re- conciliation between the Protestant heretics and Philip, the untiring defender of orthodox Catholicism.

The scene in the background provides a clue to the historical events which lie behind the subject matter of the foreground. In the second version the original figure of Neptune has been changed into or replaced by a Turk who is pursued by a fleet, the white sails of which appear behind him. It has long been realized that this is an allusion to Philip's decisive victory over the Unbelievers at Lepanto. Now, at about the same time a not inferior success was achieved by Philip against Protestant heresy in the North. In

i57o he brought a long struggle against Calvinism in the Low Countries to an end by a general pardon, which was supported by the absolution which Pius V granted to all those who returned to the True Faith. In Flanders many thousands accepted the amnesty and made their peace with the Church.'

In commemoration of Lepanto Titian painted for Philip the celebrated picture in which the King, surrounded by symbols of the victory, dedicates his infant son to God. The wrongly named "Religion succoured by Spain" becames almost a counterpart to this picture commemorating as it does, with a passing reference to the battle against the Turks, Philip's reconciliation with the peni- tent Protestants of the Low Countries--a

peace, however, which was not destined to be of long duration.2

By slight alterations of secondary elements alone Titian had turned a mythological subject into a religious one, and invested a courtly and humanist conception with the vigorous spirit of the Counter-Reformation, Such a procedure, peculiar though it may seem, is actually very common; for Titian adopted the principle of translating icono- graphical types which is as old as European painting itself.

R. W.

warriors, with arms and great preparations for fighting. It is as though presenting to Faith and placing at her feet multiple spoils of battles won against those who persecute her-coats of armours, bucklers, helmets and every sort of arms; and offering itself with great valour for her retinue and defense. On the sea, which is here with most appropriate significance, the Turk is revealed, in a boat drawn by two sea-horses, who in the distance comes breaking the turbulent waves; and he is followed by some sails, which appear to set their prow to encourage help to the heretics against Faith.

1 After Orange's flight before Alba in 1568 discussions about the granting of a general amnesty were started between Pius V and Philip II (cf. L. Serrano, Corr. diplomatica entre Espala y la Santa Sede, 1914, III, p. 72 ff.). The King signed the document on November 16th, 1569, but neither his decree nor the papal bull was published by Alba till July 16th, 1570. Cf. Gachard, Corr, de Philippe II, 1851, II, p. 680 ff. Pastor, The History of the Popes, XVIII, p. ioi. Cf. also J. H. Mari6jol, Master of the Armada. The Life and Reign of Philip II of Spain, 1933, P. 159 f.

2 The same parallel between the two victories over false belief, Muslim and Protestant, but in a less conciliatory form, occurs on the tomb of Pius V in the Cappella Sistina in S. Maria Maggiore. Cf. D. Fontana, Della Transportatione dell' Obelisco Vaticano, Rome 1590, p. 48 v. f.

2. THE CONDITION OF THE PICTURE

W hen considering this picture it must be borne in mind that its present state

is not good enough to make possible precise and accurate statements, in many cases, about the various changes of composition through which it has passed.

The general state of the picture is bad; the paint has been much rubbed throughout, especially in the nude figure on the right, and has suffered to some extent from flaking. There are a large number of small old repaints and it is, of course, known that Vicente Carducho had to retouch it already in 1626 (see Arch. Esp. de Arte, I933, P- I 13 if-) though it would seem from the picture that whatever he did must have been in the nature of small restorations only. The paint is further obscured by ingrained dirt and an old heavy yellow varnish.

The figures of Minerva and her companion appear to belong to the earlier period; the cuirass and greaves have been painted over the folds of the red drapery, but probably belong to the same period. The only additions to these figures in late Titian style are the pennant on the lance and the overpainting of the shield in Minerva's right hand. The man's head behind Minerva's companion is too damaged to permit any certain assertion. The trophies in the centre foreground are of the earlier period, though the helmet has perhaps been later retouched; the round shield on the right of it is in the later style.

The figure of Neptune (?), including his

25

a-Greco, Self-Portrait with Titian, Michelangelo and Clovio. Detail from the "Expulsion from the Temple." Minneapolis, Institute of Arts (p. 141)

: - ::

b--Titian,~~~~~ ~~~~

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