User:Teniad/Tityus (Titian)

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Tityus is a mythological painting by Titian dating to 1549 in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. It shows the punishment of the giant Tityos from Greek mythology.

Artist and Style
Tiziano Vercelli, known as Titian in English, was a prominent 16th century Italian painter. Titian incorporated a lot of color in his art throughout his career but his style evolved over time. He painted with his fingers in the later years of his career, as opposed to his prior use of brushes to create sharp lines. His painting of Tityus was made later in his career and lacks the sharpness a brush brings to paintings.

Origins of The Artwork
The scene being depicted in the painting is the endless punishment Tityus was condemned to by his father, Zeus. Tityus was sent by the goddess Hera, to rape the titan Leto, Zeus' lover. Leto's two sons, Apollo and Artemis, killed Tityus and Zeus sent him to the underworld, as shown in the painting. The punishment involved the chaining of Tityus to tree trunks, his body exposed as a vulture eats his liver. His liver grows back over and over to be eaten again and again.