Venetian admiral, fifteenth or sixteenth century. Immortalised by Titian, stunning, a gorgeous portrait in red and dark shades, rose madder, carmine. van finds a reproduction of this work under one of the plane trees at Beverhoutplein, the square where about one year later croxhapox starts at number 7. He integrates the repro with the portrait of Vincenzo Cappello in the second solo presentation, crox 15, April 1991, right above the visitor's book and introduces, in the visitor's book, a sketch of the portrait of Cappello. some visitors too venture to sketch the protrait of Vincenzo Cappello.
Cappello, Vincenzo, is lacking in the Encyclopedia Brittanica where, by the way, is mentioned a lady, same epoch, same name, who poisoned her lover. Neither is he in Larousse. The reason is to be found in the short caption going with the reproduction. When Vincenzo Cappello was head of the Venetian fleet, they went down against the Turcs every time. They won not a single battle.
638 TITIAN * Vincenzo Cappello
National Gallery of Art
Titian was one of the most sought-after portraitists of his time; popes and and crowned heads eagerly commissioned his services. Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire knighted the artist and conferred on him the title of count.
Admiral Capello's portrait in gleaming armor calls to mind that in the 15th and early 16th centuries Venice was at the peak of the glory as a sea power, with colonies in Greece and Asia Minor. The baton identifies the commandor of the Venetian fleet, a rank Capello held five times. Although Titian shows the sea lord as a heroic and stalwart figure, the history of Capello's campaigns against the Turks is one of failure because of the intense jealousy of other Italian cities.
This painting was once attributed to Tintoretto.