{"id":3596,"date":"2023-06-22T10:37:38","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T09:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=3596"},"modified":"2023-06-26T16:31:56","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T15:31:56","slug":"sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries","title":{"rendered":"Titian&#8217;s Sacred and Profane Love: Hidden Secrets and Symbolism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/borghese.gallery\/collection\/paintings\/sacred-and-profane-love.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Titian&#8217;s<\/a> <em>Sacred and Profane Love\u00a0<\/em>is the gem of Rome&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/borghese-gallery-artists-rome\">Borghese Gallery<\/a>&#8230; and one of the most famous paintings of <a href=\"https:\/\/artincontext.org\/italian-renaissance-art\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Italian Renaissance art<\/a>.\u00a0Perhaps the painting &#8211; also known as <em>Amore Sacro e Amor Profano<\/em> &#8211; is so famous simply because of its beauty and because it&#8217;s a masterpiece by the Renaissance great Titian.<\/p>\n<p>Or perhaps people have fallen in love with it because of its hidden secrets and symbolism\u2014much of which art historians\u00a0<em>still\u00a0<\/em>don&#8217;t completely understand!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3612\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3612\" class=\"wp-image-3612\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre.jpg 1459w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre-768x264.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3612\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Titian&#8217;s <em>Sacred and Profane Love<\/em> is a beautiful and hauntingly mysterious painting.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The painting is so beloved, in fact, that in 1899, the Rothschild family offered to pay the Borghese Gallery 4 million lira for the piece\u2014even though the gallery&#8217;s <em>entire collection,\u00a0<\/em>and the grounds, were valued at only 3.6 million lira!<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#An_artwork_shrouded_in_mystery\" >An artwork shrouded in mystery<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#The_masterpiece_at_first_glance\" >The masterpiece at first glance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#Symbols_and_hidden_meanings\" >Symbols and hidden meanings<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#We_dont_even_know_the_real_title_of_one_of_the_most_famous_paintings_in_Europe\" >We don&#8217;t even know the real title of one of the most famous paintings in Europe<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#What_is_sacred_and_what_is_profane\" >What is sacred, and what is profane?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#What_we_dont_see\" >What we don&#8217;t see<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#Alternative_interpretations\" >Alternative interpretations<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#Cupid_unlocks_the_meaning\" >Cupid unlocks the meaning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/sacred-profane-love-titian-mysteries\/#Neither_sacred_nor_profane\" >Neither sacred, nor profane<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"An_artwork_shrouded_in_mystery\"><\/span>An artwork shrouded in mystery<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There&#8217;s a lot of mysterious stuff going on here. At first glance, the painting might just look like another portrait of two lovely ladies, with a pastoral background behind them.<\/p>\n<p>Look again.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_masterpiece_at_first_glance\"><\/span>The masterpiece at first glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First of all, there are the women themselves. One is clothed, bejeweled, and\u2014seemingly\u2014made up with cosmetics. She&#8217;s wearing gloves, and holding a plant of some kind. The other is (almost) stark naked, holding just a torch.<\/p>\n<p>Then look at what they&#8217;re sitting on. That&#8217;s no carved-marble bench &#8211; that&#8217;s a sarcophagus. In other words, a coffin, of the type the ancient Romans used.<\/p>\n<p>And it&#8217;s a strange sarcophagus, because it appears to be filled with water, which a cherubic baby is swirling.<\/p>\n<p>Look even closer, and you can see a spout in the sarcophagus&#8217; front, which the water is pouring out of and, seemingly, watering a growing plant below.<\/p>\n<p>In the background, meanwhile, you have some other strange things going on: On our left, a horse and rider race up a mountaintop to a looming fortress, while two hares appear to be playing (or chasing each other); on our right, shepherds herd sheep in a pasture in front of a picturesque church, while a dog chases a hare.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing that&#8217;s here is here by mistake. So what does it all mean?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3616\" style=\"width: 1110px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre4.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3616\" class=\"wp-image-3616 size-full\" title=\"Sacred and Profane Love, by Venetian artist Titian\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1100\" height=\"1173\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre4.jpg 1100w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre4-768x819.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3616\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The church and pasture in <em>Sacred and Profane Love.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Symbols_and_hidden_meanings\"><\/span>Symbols and hidden meanings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We&#8217;re not sure. We have to rely on our knowledge of the painting&#8217;s symbols and hidden meanings to find out. And that&#8217;s because&#8230;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"We_dont_even_know_the_real_title_of_one_of_the_most_famous_paintings_in_Europe\"><\/span>We don&#8217;t even know the real title of one of the most famous paintings in Europe<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Although the piece is called\u00a0<em>Sacred and Profane Love,\u00a0<\/em>that&#8217;s not its original name. In fact, we don&#8217;t know what its original name was.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we\u00a0<em>do\u00a0<\/em>know: Titian painted the piece in 1513-1514, at the age of just 25. And it was commissioned to celebrate the marriage of Niccol\u00f3 Aurelio, a secretary to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Great-Council-Venetian-political-organization\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Council of Venice<\/a>, to Laura Bagarotto. No name is listed in the records for the painting, but in 1693, almost 200 years after it was painted, it showed up in the Borghese Gallery&#8217;s inventory under the name\u00a0<em>Amor Divino e Amor Profano\u00a0<\/em>(&#8220;divine love and profane love&#8221;).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_sacred_and_what_is_profane\"><\/span><strong>What is sacred, and what is profane?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For a long time, art historians thought that the painting was supposed to show two different kinds of love: the sacred, and the profane.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s definitely safe to say the painting is about love. Symbols of love are scattered throughout, from the roses on the sarcophagus to the myrtle the woman on our left clasps (more on that later!). And, of course, the painting was a marriage gift, which would make this focus highly appropriate.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3614\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3614\" class=\"wp-image-3614 size-full\" title=\"Sacred or profane love in Titian's painting\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre1-768x1048.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3614\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sacred\u2014or profane?<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But does it show sacred and <em>profane\u00a0<\/em>love? Well, if so, that might explain the background. The fortress, symbol of war and humanity, could symbolize the profane (or worldly); the church would, obviously, symbolize the sacred.<\/p>\n<p>And it could explain the two women. Perhaps one is meant to be a Venus showing what worldly love looks like; the other, a Venus showing us sacred love.<\/p>\n<p>But the interesting question is, if this is true, then <em>which\u00a0<\/em>of the two women represents sacred love, and which is the profane?<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3618\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3618\" class=\"wp-image-3618 size-full\" title=\"Sacred love, or profane... or neither?\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre2-768x902.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3618\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Is nudity actually a sign of the sacred? (Maybe!)<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_we_dont_see\"><\/span>What we <em>don&#8217;t<\/em> see<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>At first glance, you might think the woman on our left represents sacred love. After all, she&#8217;s clothed! The other, naked one would, of course, represent worldly, amorous love.<\/p>\n<p>Some aspects of each woman&#8217;s costume do back up that theory, because there are\u00a0so many hidden symbolshere! For example, the clothed woman&#8217;s belt was generally considered a symbol of marital ties; and the myrtle in her hand symbolized the lasting happiness of marriage. On the other hand, the nude woman&#8217;s flame symbolized earthly lust.<\/p>\n<p>But look again, and you see just as much symbolism pointing us in the opposite direction. For one thing, the clothed woman is seated, and therefore\u00a0<em>below\u2014<\/em>and closer to the earth than\u2014her nude counterpart. She&#8217;s wearing gloves for falconry, or hunting, and holding a case of jewels, both signs of worldly pursuits. And she&#8217;s dressed very sumptuously (and not all that modestly!), with rich fabrics and even a touch of cosmetics.<\/p>\n<p>But heavenly beauty doesn&#8217;t need any worldly adornment. The nude woman, therefore, might be sacred.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternative_interpretations\"><\/span>Alternative interpretations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cupid_unlocks_the_meaning\"><\/span>Cupid unlocks the meaning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The key could be Cupid, mixing water in the sarcophagus.\u00a0Of course, that&#8217;s no baby between the two depictions of love (in this interpretation, two versions of Venus, goddess of love, herself): it&#8217;s Cupid. By mixing the waters in the well\/sarcophagus, he might be suggesting that the ideal love is, in fact, a mix of these two kinds.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3615\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre3-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3615\" class=\" wp-image-3615 size-full\" title=\"the mysteries of Titian's Sacred and Profane Love\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre3-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/05sacre3-1-768x1013.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3615\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water swirls in the sarcophagus&#8230; and waters a growing plant?<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Neither_sacred_nor_profane\"><\/span>Neither sacred, nor profane<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What if the painting isn&#8217;t even about sacred and profane love?<\/p>\n<p>In the 20th century, art historian\u00a0Walter Friedl\u00e4nder argued that the painting wasn&#8217;t about these two types of love at all. He thought it showed Polia and Venere, two characters in Francesco Colonna&#8217;s popular 1499 romance\u00a0<em>Hypnerotomachia Poliphili\u00a0<\/em>(don&#8217;t worry, there won&#8217;t be a test on that name!).<\/p>\n<p>Another interpretation that&#8217;s much more simple&#8230; and makes a lot of sense? The painting could show the bride,\u00a0Laura Bagarotto, herself, dressed in virginal white on the left. And the nude woman on the right? She might be Venus, initiating Laura into what love is like\u2014complete with showing her the passion that&#8217;s necessary to make a marriage work (the torch).<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line is that no one is sure what this painting really means. There&#8217;s a lot going on here, that&#8217;s for sure. And it&#8217;s kept art historians interested\u2014and arguing!\u2014for centuries.<\/p>\n<p><em>Update notice: This article was updated on June 21, 2023.<\/em><\/p>\n<section class=\"standard-content\"><strong>If you find the stories behind the art as fascinating as we do, join our fascinating\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/villa-borghese-gallery-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Borghese Gallery Tour!\u00a0<\/a>The experience \u2013 led by an expert guide \u2013 not only looks at <em>Sacred and Profane<\/em> love, but also explores other mysterious stories and symbolism throughout the Borghese Gallery.<\/strong><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Titian&#8217;s Sacred and Profane Love\u00a0is the gem of Rome&#8217;s Borghese Gallery&#8230; and one of the most famous paintings of Italian Renaissance art.\u00a0Perhaps the painting &#8211; also known as Amore Sacro e Amor Profano &#8211; is so famous simply because of its beauty and because it&#8217;s a masterpiece by the Renaissance great Titian. Or perhaps people [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":3612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[68,69,18,186],"ppma_author":[194],"class_list":["post-3596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-art","tag-history","tag-rome","tag-titian"],"authors":[{"term_id":194,"user_id":80,"is_guest":0,"slug":"martinav","display_name":"Martina V.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Martina-Vitale.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Martina-Vitale.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"V.","first_name":"Martina","job_title":"","description":"Martina is an art historian and travel writer from Rome, Italy. Martina currently resides in the eternal city and draws inspiration from its iconic landmarks and timeless beauty. When she's not immersed in the vibrant artistic heritage of Italy, Martina can be found sipping espresso in charming cafes, and scoping out the city\u2019s best tiramisu\u2014her favorite dessert!"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3596"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3596"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3596\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18346,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3596\/revisions\/18346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3596"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=3596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}