Titian painted this work for the Duke of Urbino, possibly to celebrate his 1534 marriage. It is one of my favorite paintings of the Renaissance of mythological nature, an iconic rendering of the reeling female nude and a masterful example of Venetian art. The depiction of sensuality was bold for its time and still holds this visual power. The pose of the subject also recalls that found in Giorgone’s Sleeping Beauty, which Titian allegedly completed after Giorgione’s death, yet Titian chose an interior setting and made her look directly at the viewer, lending a somewhat coquettish theme. Whereas Giorgione’s nude is more idealized and demure, Titian’s subject is alluring and tempting, and doesn’t give a hoot that she is unclothed.

For my interpretation, I wanted to focus and expand on what personally attracts me to Titian’s work - namely, the beautiful contrasts between vertical/horizontal planes and the body’s curvature, the intense color and light, and the lush tapestries. The interaction of these elements and unifying them in a more abstract composition was my challenge. As is my general approach, adding implied narrative to build the story was a goal, as was transforming some of the architectural elements to give it more of a Southwest/New Mexico touch.