Portret van Titiaan 1821

Sigmund Ferdinand Ritter von Perger rendered this portrait of Titian using etching and engraving techniques. Titian, the celebrated Venetian painter from the 16th century, gains a second life through Perger's 19th-century interpretation. This work exists within a lineage of artists imagining their predecessors. During this period, there was increasing awareness of art history and the concept of the "old master." Here, Titian is not merely depicted; he is constructed. The chains and fur trim, as well as his turned head all contribute to a romanticized vision of the artist, which speaks as much to Perger's time as it does to Titian's. What does it mean to look back, to interpret, and to reimagine? This is an emotional as well as an intellectual endeavor; Perger both honors and appropriates the legacy of a giant.