Auerbach’s Transcriptions after Titian

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In a recent V. Note I talked about how artists study works by other artists. Transcriptions are like artist’s notes, recording selected aspects and observations in an artwork. Sometimes they serve as a jumping off point for artwork in completely new direction. Transcriptions are not copies.

For a commission, Frank Auerbach transcribed Titian’s ‘Tarquin and Lucretia’ into two works of original art.

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Which way up?

The Tate posted ‘Study after Titian I’ in two different orientations, and TotallyHistory has it in a third. Which way is up? I took my best guess and posted the work above with the gold on top. What do you think?

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Titian’s ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’

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Auerbach based these studies and the painting below on Titian’s ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’. Adapting the figures, trees, and clouds of the original painting into a bold network of marks, Auerbach records the powerful sense of energy and movement in the original work. (Tate)

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