Bidspirit auction | TIZIANO VECELLIO and Collaborator (c.1500-1576)-

TIZIANO VECELLIO and Collaborator (c.1500-1576)- The Tribute Money - Oil on canvas, signed ”TITIANUS INVEN”. Framed. Signs of use. Dim.: 127x110cm. According to the Specialized Scientific Analysis Commission of the Robilant+Voena Art Gallery, Milan, ”the present work is a variant of the work 'The Tribute Money' present in the National Gallery by Titian, completed in 1568 for King Philip II of Spain, which depicts an episode from the gospel according to Matthew (22:15-22). According to a study by Professor Alessandro Ballarin (oral communication of May 11, 2023), whose experience in Venetian Renaissance Painting is widely recognized, the present version would have been painted in Spain, possibly in the second half of the 16th century. Several copies and variants of the theme are known, including the present one and the one displayed in the New Raritet Antique Gallery in Vienna (2017), both sharing a Spanish provenance, demonstrating the influence and impact of Titian's imagery at the time.”The painting is also preserved on its original canvas, something rare among works attributed to Titian, according to a statement from Professor Christopher J. Nygren. According to him, ”there are relatively few works by Titian that have not been relined over the centuries”