Hess 1Rachel HessExamining CommunicationExtra Credit

The Other Renaissance: Titian and 16th-Century Painting in VeniceResponse to Presentation by Dr. Deborah Walberg

I attended a lecture of 16th century paintings in Venice analyzed by Dr. Walberg. She is

one of the art history professors at Bloomsburg University and from her presentation I learned

that she is very passionate for art and has an eye for visual rhetoric. The goal of her lecture is to

familiarize the audience with an unfamiliar painter from the 16th century in Venice, Italy. The

artist she is so fond of is named Titian and he worked among other painters during the same time

period such as Bellini, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Dr. Walberg argues in this lecture that even

though Titian was not one of the ninja turtles, he was still an influential master painter in Venice

that produced art able to speak to all generations.

The city of Venice had an artistic heritage and tradition different from its neighboring

city, Florence. Since Venice is Christian, the art consists of opulent Venetian masks, paintings,

and altar pieces. The city has a unique urban topography being completely surrounded by water,

having canals throughout, and only able to be accessed by boat. It is mentioned to also be a city

of constant change within itself through the visual aesthetic of the architecture and landscape. In

this section of her presentation, Dr. Walberg uses onomonopea, imagery, and word clusters as

examples of rhetoric to help the audience visualize the city and its qualities. For example, she

described the color of the water to be ‘ephemeral’, symbolizing constant motion, shifts, and

changes in the gondolas as they cruise through canals; Florence, as ‘geometric’, ‘crisp’, and

‘precise’; and Venice as ‘poetry’, ‘soothing’, and ‘sensuous’. By giving these characteristics to

the cities and their environment, the audience can understand the passion and appreciation Dr.

Walberg has for them. Her fanciful language and colorful words contribute to her use of rhetoric.

Hess 2Rachel HessExamining CommunicationExtra Credit

Through the communication of these visuals to the audience, they can truly understand the art

that each city embodies.

Titian adopted a process in all of his paintings. He expressed the ‘juxtaposition of poetic

harmony’ in his portrayal of sensuality of the human form. His paintings were not abstract but

were even more so realistic depictions of humans and their nature. Dr. Walberg stated that

through viewing, Titian reaffirms our sensory experience in his paintings. There is a level of

energy injected into his paintings that sets his work apart from many other masters. In this time

period, everyone wanted a portrait of themselves painted

by Titian. His illustration of human traits was raw and

personal, and he knew how to intensify these

characteristics psychologically.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” –

Edgar Degas

Titians paintings appeal to sensuality, the senses,

and the psyche. His work encourages us to complete the

rest of the painting in our minds. Dr. Walberg believes

that Titian was definitely a master painter of the 16th

century in Venice. She stated that he is quintessential,

universal, and can speak through world shifts, wars, and history. Ultimately, Dr. Walberg’s

presentation provides us the evidence needed to agree that Titian is indeed an old master.

Dr. Walberg’s entire speech was read in essay format to her audience. She did plan and

prepare for the lecture and her delivery was not memorized, impromptu, or extemporaneous. She

Hess 3Rachel HessExamining CommunicationExtra Credit

also had a PowerPoint slideshow with black slides and only pictures of the paintings discussed.

There were no words on the slides except for the artist’s name and date. Overall, I enjoyed this

sixty minute lecture about 16th century painting in Venice, and I am persuaded to also believe

that Titian was an exceptional painter, and should also be considered as one of the masters of his

time.