Maranta

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In a nutshell, Paleotti's

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purpose in writing the Discorso was to ensure that sacred and profane art would move viewers away from vice and towards virtue and knowledge of God. -Pamela M. Jones

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My most illustruious

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Lord, having gone to hear mass the other day at San Domenico with Signor Scipione Ammirato, we happened [capitammo] into the chapel of Signor Cosimo Pinelli ... And reasoning [ragionando] over [Titian's] painting and discussing [discorrendo] various things pertaining to it (as one does [come si fa]) , we were of contrary opinion about a few things.

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Having come

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two days later to visit Your Lordship ... I found that what Ammirato had told me was true.

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[Yet] I firmly

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believe that all that you said about the matter was said more to provoke the other critics and to kid with me (favoring me as you usually do) than because you really agreed with them.

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This was confirmed for me when

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I learned that one of the principle defects assigned to the painting was that the angel Gabriel is excessively fat. [defended with analogy to Carrafa's son.]

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However, because I have heard other people say

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these things not for fun but because they really believe them, and who speak, it seems to me, more from habit [consuetudine (custom, usage)] than from solid and true judgment [saldo e vero giudicio], I have resolved to speak my mind in defense of Titian

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And although

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judging paintings has never been my profession, since others speak with you on the subject who are no more competent in it than I am, I have hope that placing the truth in front of their eyes, it will be easy for me to undo their knots.

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Premise: the authority of the artist as professional

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Since Titian's fame is known not only

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in Italy, but in the whole world, those of us who are not so learned in his profession [noi, che della sua professione non siamo cosi dotti] should not criticize him without first making diligent consideration and consulting with experts regarding our doubts [muoviamo i nostri dubbi a persone di cio intelligenti],

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so that it not be said of us what

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Apelles said of the shoemaker, that he shouldn't intrude in matters beyond shoes.

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If we are incapable of seeing

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Titian’s reason for making the angel chubby, we should go seek it out rather than criticize the painting.

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Concepts and presuppositions: the parallel with poetry

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Just as in poetry one finds

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similes, metaphors, figures and allegories, one also finds these things in painting, though in a silent, mute way

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So it is clear that

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poetry and painting, one being spoken and the other mute, are in fact the same thing, and what is said of the one may also be applied to the other.

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The fatness of the angel and the

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youthfulness of Michelangelo’s Christ must therefore be considered two mute allegories of painting which no one has yet been able to unravel.

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From this similar case [Mike's Christ] we may go looking for the solution to Titian's fizione, and could say that

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Titian wanted to figuratively denote for us that, as the prophet says, those who enjoy the abundance of the house of God must be fat, and wanted to show people that this angel was one of those most dear to the Lord, showing in his face that abundance of divine food, which is to say, love, grace, splendor and other supreme gifts

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However, should this solution

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not be accepted, we should not on this account criticise the artistry of the painting, as we are obliged to consider whether a better explication can be found for what Titian had in mind.

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Painting, like poetry, consists in

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imitation, and nothing can be imitated which we have not first seen.

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Because no painter can

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be found who can boast of having seen an angel, it follows that no one is able to paint an angel as he really is, since angeles are not material beings.