Critiques on the Painting

What Peter Paul Ruben would comment on Titian’s Venus with a Mirror: Form and Style:
Brief biography: Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a 17th century Flemish Baroque painter and famous for his Baroque style(encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church which described a style of art present in the late 16th to the early 18th century where the style is characterized by strong movement, explicit emotion, and self confident portrayals) in his paintings. He particularly examined the use of movement, color, and sensuality in his paintings.

As seen by the perspective of Ruben:“I like the use of color and movement that Titian has incorporated in his painting of Venus with a Mirror. The form of Venus is very voluptuous and captivating in sense of the identification of the body as a real form and not an idealized one. I am so intrigued by the style and form that you used, that I will have to make a copy in my own artistic style that represents the Northern Baroque. I will call it Rueben’s Venus. I do have a problem in the realistic and humanized form that your painting is in, mine, however, will be much more humanized than yours. Her figure will be much fuller and far more curvaceous than yours. I want her form to be embraced. She will not look at her reflection in the mirror; hence she will gaze on how her beauty is effective to its viewers.”

The Judgment of Paris is a popular European magazine that looks at the transition of fashion throughout the years. The magazine evaluates how fashion and art are intertwined. In this critique the magazine looks at the appreciation of the female body, which correlates to Titan’s appreciation for feminine beauty.

As seen by the perspective of “The Judgment of Paris”:“Titian found inspiration in an even lovelier and noticeably heavier fair-haired model, who personified for him the very acme of feminine beauty. The identity of this model is uncertain, but she is often judged the most beautiful woman in history. Titian first painted her in two mythological subjects, feminine ideal. Titian found inspiration in an even lovelier and noticeably heavier fair-haired model, who personified for him the very acme of feminine beauty. The identity of this model is uncertain, but she is often judged the most beautiful woman in history. Titian first painted her in two mythological subjects, Danaë receiving the Golden Rain and Venus with Organist and Cupid, but his final representation of his fair muse in Venus with a Mirror (above) surpassed all his previous efforts, and ranks as Titian’s supreme masterwork. The artist was so attached to this painting that could never bear to sell it, and it remained with him until his death.
Unlike the earlier works, in Venus with a Mirror Titian’s voluptuous model adopts the classical pose known as the Venus Pudica, or “modest Venus.” But Titian contrasts the traditional modesty of the pose with the unmistakable pleasure in her own appearance that the goddess exhibits as she looks into the mirror—as if her luxurious charms are so wondrous that she herself is forced to pause and catch her breath in awe.”