Documents of Art 2

An essay by Edward Lucie-Smith explores the dynamic art of Titian, exhibited in a major collection of his key paintings at the National Gallery London and other studies of leading figures in the transcendent era of the High Italian Renaissance in painting, drawing, sculpture and architecture of the 15th and 16th centuies. 'The Titian show at the National Gallery here in London has just opened to the public again. It was available for just three days before the big lockdown. Now it is with us once more, though on rather different terms from what was the case previously. You have to book a time. You have to wearing a mask. You have to keep a distance between yourself and other visitors booked in for the same slot. Is it worth the hassle? Yes, of course it is. Titian is one of the greatest figures in the history of Western art.' ELS