Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)

There is no exact record of my birth, but it seems to have been between 1488 and 1490. I was born in what is now Pieve di Cadore, Italy as the oldest of four children. Once a teen, I went to Venice were I began my apprenticeships under artists such as Sebastiano Zuccato, Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione. My first major commission and the work that earned me a true title of my own was the "Assumption of the Virgin" in 1518. This opened many new doors for me and soon I was commissioned by royalty and high religious patrons to do portraits for them (including King Philip II of Spain and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). In my later years my paintings reflected religious and mythological meaning. I continued painting till the end of my life, which was terminated by the plague. Sadly my son died months later from the same illness. I have to say I had an incredible opportunity in life and in my years I was able to achieve so much.