Northcote, James (1746-1831)

The Life of Titian: With Anecdotes of the Distinguished Persons of His Time. in Two Volumes

      Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, London, 1830. First Edition. Scarce. Handsomely bound two volume set detailing the life of the artist Titian (born Tiziano Vecelli ca. 1490), founder of the Venetian School of the Italian Renaissance. Includes a frontis portrait of the artist and a folding genealogical chart at the end of volume II. Original 3/4 tree calf with marbled boards, raised spine bands. Large 8vo. Portrait; 399 + 384 pages. Fine. * Biography of the artist Titian (born Tiziano Vecellio c.1490), founder of the Venetian School of the Italian Renaissance. James Northcote was a pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds and more successful at painting animals than higher forms of life which prompted Henry Fuseli to remark upon seeing Northcote's "Angel opposing Balaam"-"Northcote, you are an angel at an ass, but an ass at an angel. " William Hazlitt assisted Northcote in his life of Titian.