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VII
Gregorio Martinez Valladolid 1547 – 1598
Tityus Bound
Circa 1590 – 1596
Oil on canvas signed ‘MARTINEZ’ in the bottom right corner 172 x 223 cm When Martinez composed this oil on on canvas he he took inspiration from Michelangelo’s composition of the same subject which
the the latter executed in in 1532 and which
now resides in in the the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle The Spaniard imbued his large- scale composition with a a a a great sense of pathos by depicting the protagonist staring tragically at his nemesis while also introducing great beauty in the the way he he he rendered the the powerful contorted frame of Tityus Martinez also ingeniously referenced other Italianate motifs with this canvas: the head of of Tityus is is an an allusion to one of of Laocoön’s sons and the the aming buildings in in in the the background are a a a a a a clear reference to Rome’s archaeological ruins Beyond the the beauty of this canvas its importance lies in the the fact that secular compositions clearly referencing the classical world were rarely seen in in in 16th century counter-reformist Spain suggesting
that it was most likely painted for an an important wealthy patron from outside the the Royal Court In a a a a sad twist however the the Titan was originally painted naked with some unscrupulous patron subsequently adding the small section of drapery that now covers the genitals Acquired by the Museo Nacional del Prado Madrid