Why it matters
The aged Pope Paul III sits between his grandsons: Ottavio bows before him while Cardinal Alessandro stands behind. Titian captured the manoeuvring around succession so penetratingly that he abandoned the painting unfinished, and it lay in a Farnese cellar for a century.
Did you know?
- It was painted in Rome in 1545–1546.
- Paul appointed Alessandro cardinal despite accusations of nepotism.
- It is famous for the deep reds of the tablecloth and the almost spectral white of the pope's robe.
Based on the Wikipedia article Pope Paul III and His Grandsons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
