Artists You Should Know: Titian

From the Art History mailbag:

... we've been studying the Renaissance and I wonder how Titian got to be such a big influence on other artists. Did that many painters go to Venice?

Sincerely,
Britteny

Britteny, certainly every non-Venetian artist of the age that could get to Venice did, because they were doing some innovative work there. Titian was the most outstanding painter in a region of outstanding painters, so naturally any artist that was in the area wanted to check out his technique. However, this alone does not explain his great influence. Titian also enjoyed quite a few patrons in high places (we're talking high, as in Emperor-high, or King-high) and his portraits and paintings for them were seen in The Best Places all over (what is now) Europe. Spanish artists, in particular, didn't have to travel to Venice to see exactly what Titian was doing. I think we could say in modern language, Britteny, that Titian was an (unintentional) early master of the technique of "networking" - as well as being an artist worth imitating. Thanks for writing and asking questions.