Sacred and Profane Love (Amor Sacro e Amor Profano) after Titian
Painting on canvas • Circle of Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), likely an accomplished Venetian or Northern Italian hand active within fifty years of the master's death.
Style & Movement
Late Renaissance / Mannerism (Venetian School)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas employing Venetian School techniques including glazing for skin tones and sfumato in the background landscape.
Creation Period
Circa 1590-1620 (Late 16th to early 17th century)
Dimensions & Format
Unframed: 100cm x 80cm; Framed: 110cm x 90cm; Horizontal Landscape Format.
Subject Description
An allegorical depiction based on Titian's 1514 masterpiece. It features two women, one dressed in fine contemporary white and red robes (Profane Love) and one semi-nude (Sacred Love), seated at a classical stone sarcophagus functioning as a fountain. Between them, Cupid stirs the water, symbolizing the harmonizing of different forms of love or Neo-Platonic ideals.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good; displays age-appropriate craquelure and some localized darkening of pigments.
Estimated Market Value
$40,000 - $70,000 USD
Auction Estimate
$30,000 - $50,000 USD
Provenance History
Private Parisian collection; previously acquired from a prominent London-based classical art dealership; historical origins likely Northern Italy.
Art Historical Significance
A significant historical testament to the demand for Tizianesque compositions in the early 17th century. It representative of the 'pasticheur' or workshop tradition where high-quality copies were produced for aristocratic collectors who could not obtain the original.
Notable Features
The inclusion of the red sleeve and white dress details shows high competence; housed in a high-quality Cassetta-style frame with gilded scrolling motifs.
Condition Issues
Visible fine craquelure across the surface; some minor pigment oxidation in the darker background foliage; evidence of old varnish may be present.
Conservation Recommendations
Surface cleaning and potentially a light varnish refresh; maintain in a climate-controlled environment with UV-filtered lighting at approximately 200 lux.
Collector Notes
From circa 1600. A very early 17th version of Sacred and Profound Love after Titian and possibly from someone close to the workshop of Titian painted most likely within 50 years of his death. From a private Parisian collection and acquired from a leading Lindon classical art dealership. The overall dimensions framed are approximately 110cm x 90cm and unframed 100cm x 80cm.