GALLERIA BORGHESE, Titian-Sacred And Profane Love_Room 20

This painting was commissioned to the artist for the wedding between Niccolò Aurelio and Laura Bagarotto, celebrated in the spring of 1514.

In the painting, if you look closely at the bas-relief of the ancient marble sarcophagus, transformed into a fountain, you can see the coats of arms of the two families, reproduced just above the spout from which the water comes out and on the bottom of the silver plate near the hand of the maiden on the right.

Already the title of this splendid work by Titian, Sacred and Profane Love, makes you realize that the underlying theme is the dual nature of love, which is both a nearly spiritual sentiment, and a physical passion.

If you look closely at the painting, you will realize how dualism, the presence of contrasting yet complementary elements, is its key element.

Look at the background, for example: on the right the lakeside landscape is illuminated by the light of sunset, while on the left the castle and the hill are pervaded by the glow of dawn.

Even more striking is the contrast between the clothes of the two maidens, seated on opposite sides of the fountain, between whom we see a winged putto that most likely represents Cupid, or love. Look closely at the face and hair of both and you will discover that they are the same subject.

On the left she wears a white dress, possibly a wedding dress, richly decorated, with a golden belt, puffed sleeves, wide neckline, and elegant gloves. On the right she is nude, wearing only a cloth that barely covers her around the hips and a large red cloak.

The maiden on the left symbolizes the chaste and pure love of the bride, as she should appear in public, the second represents passion, seduction and love as it should be experienced in private.

I would like to point out two other important elements. To the left of the bride's elbow, you can see two white bunnies, auspicious of numerous offspring.

On the fountain, however, you can see two mythological scenes whose underlying theme is passion. On the right, the reference is to the killing of Adonis by the god Ares, while Venus watches in despair. On the left, however, the scene recalls the Rape of Proserpina, abducted by the god Pluto who will make her his bride.

Here’s an interesting fact: Titian became so wealthy from his works that he also invested his capital by becoming an entrepreneur in the timber trade.