Titian and His Mistress

Prints and Drawings

c. 1620

Lucas Vorsterman (Dutch, 1595-1675)
after Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599-1641)

Anthony van Dyck’s print of a lost self-portrait by the Venetian master Titian shows the artist with a luxuriously dressed woman who is significantly younger than he is. Included within the work is a popular Venetian verse that comments on the woman’s beauty and declares that she is expecting a child, while calling Titian “great” and praising his artistic skill. The woman’s arm rests on a box containing a skull, and her eyes look away from the aged Titian, indicating the artist’s mortality and man’s inevitable decline into old age. The master reaches out to touch the abdomen of the young, sumptuous woman, contrasting himself with the new life of her unborn child.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Anthony van Dyck
Title: Titian and His Mistress
Place: Flanders (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1615–1625
Medium: Etching and engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions: Image/plate: 30.4 × 30.3 cm (12 × 11 15/16 in.); Sheet: 34.5 × 27.5 cm (13 5/8 × 10 7/8 in.)
Credit Line: Clarence Buckingham Collection
Reference Number: 1928.190
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/55983/manifest.json

Dutuit p. 156 B III/V

Wibiral 69 B III/V

New Hollstein 628 III/VIII

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Artist

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Catalogues Raisonnés

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.