Titian John the Baptist. Around 1555
canvas. 195 x 127,5
Source: artdaily.org

Madrid's Prado museum staff found in his collection of "new" Titian. The painting "John the Baptist", previously considered a copy, as a result of five years of research, it was recognized the script. This work is, perhaps, the only work of Titian in the Prado, which occurs not from the Spanish royal collection. The picture came to the museum in 1872 as "the work of an unknown author of the Madrid School of XVII century." Soon after, "John the Baptist" went to the church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in the province of Almeria cantors, where he remained until 2007, when he was taken out by the experts of the Prado.

For the benefit of authorship Titian show as specifications canvas (the presence of preparatory layers of white lead with the addition of calcium carbonate), and similar to other pictures of this master (similar landscape in the painting," John the Baptist "from other landscapes in the paintings of Titian early 1550 years). All these factors have allowed the work to date of about 1555.

painting came to the museum from almeriyskoy church in disrepair. Restoration of partially restored image clarity, the less damaged areas of the sky and the landscape has guessed their former splendor and ingenuity Titian creation. In general, unfortunately, the work of "John the Baptist" is not so much an aesthetic (it is too damaged), and documentary value. It can be compared with two other paintings by Titian on the same subject - the earlier (1530-1532 version of the Venetian Academy Gallery) and more recent (1565-1570 version of the Monastery of El Escorial near Madrid).

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources : artdaily.org , phaidon.com , artinvestment.ru