Flora

     Depicted here we see Flora, the Greek goddess of Spring and the bride of Zephyr, emerging from a dark background and identified through the various flowers in her hand. While her surroundings remain dark, her figure emanates from the darkness, illuminating the canvas. Flora’s head tilts slightly to the viewer’s left, implying that she may be looking at something outside the space. While the contrast between the light figure and the dark background may appear to separate the composition, it is also unified through its choice of colors. The reds of the hair--also known as Titian red, the color Titian often used to paint the hair of many women--and drapery, the whites of the clothing, and the beige skin tone create a sense of connection through the harmony between them and the almost black background. Going into the finer details, we see that Titian brilliantly depicts the figure in a naturalistic way without taking away the idealistic beauty of a goddess. Titian achieves this through Flora’s clothing: while we see a rich silky red fabric, we also see wrinkles in the white of the clothing. In addition, we see the natural flow and curl of the hair as it hangs over Flora’s shoulder. Thus, we get a sense of the wealth and power associated with the image while also recognizing the innate beauty.
     While the subject matter of the painting is of Greco-Roman culture, its portrayal has roots in Venetian society during the Renaissance. Beginning with Giorgione’s Laura, the theme of feminine beauty developed from chastity to a blend of sexual indiscretion and modesty.¹ The development of this theme may also suggest that the figure may be Voluptas, the Greek goddess of sensual pleasures. Adapting these characteristics of “modest beauty” from Giorgione, Titian creates Flora in a dress--which will be discussed later--which hangs unfastened from her right shoulder, displaying a small portion of the breast. As with females in Giorgione’s paintings, Flora uses only three fingers to push up part of her clothing to cover her breast--an action that makes the viewer question whether she truly wants to cover herself and adds to the concept of modest beauty. These characteristics, although they would be frowned upon in the modern world, were great portrayals of gender inequality of the time, displaying woman as the “plaything of man.”²
     In addition to the figure having a Greco-Roman root, the clothing which Flora adorns has a Greco-Roman root as well. Although Flora’s garment could be identified as a camicia, it doesn’t match the wedding gowns of the time; rather, Flora has been dressed as a nymph.³ Thus, it has been assumed that Titian’s portrayal of Flora displays a Venetian perspective on Classical traditional wedding outfits. As a result, this piece stands out as a great example of Venetian society building on Classical traditions.

1. Anne Christine Junkerman, "The Lady and the Laurel: Gender and Meaning in Giorgione's "Laura"," Oxford Art Journal 16, no. 1 (1993): 49-58. Accessed November 2, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1360536.
2. Sir Claude Phillips, Titian, (New York: Parkstone International, 2008), Accessed November 2, 2020, ProQuest Ebook Central.
3. Emma H. Mellencamp, "A Note on the Costume of Titian's "Flora"," The Art Bulletin 51, no. 2 (Jun 01, 1969): 174. https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1296211331?accountid=10598.

• Journal Article I: Mellencamp, Emma H. 1969. "A Note on the Costume of Titian's "Flora"." The Art Bulletin 51 (2) (Jun 01): 174. https://login.proxy.lib.duke.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1296211331?accountid=10598.

• Journal Article II: Junkerman, Anne Christine. "The Lady and the Laurel: Gender and Meaning in Giorgione's "Laura"." Oxford Art Journal 16, no. 1 (1993): 49-58. Accessed November 2, 2020. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1360536.

• Book: Phillips, Sir Claude. 2008. Titian. New York: Parkstone International. Accessed November 2, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central.

• Image Source: Titian, ca. 1488-1576. c.1515. Flora. Place: Galleria degli Uffizi. https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822000645729.
• Museum: “Flora by Titian: Artworks: Uffizi Galleries.” by Titian | Artworks | Uffizi Galleries. Accessed November 2, 2020. https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/flora.