238 - Palma il Giovane (Jacopo Palma, 1544–1628), or from his circle. Probably a portrait of Titian (c. 1488–1576) in his later years. Drawing. Pen and ink, sepia, red-brown wash, thin handmade paper. Tall oval, 7.7 × 6.2 cm, paper size 12.7 × 8.5 cm.

Palma il Giovane (Jacopo Palma, 1544–1628), or from his circle. Probably a portrait of Titian (c. 1488–1576) in his later years. Drawing. Pen and ink, sepia, red-brown wash, thin handmade paper. Tall oval, 7.7 × 6.2 cm, paper size 12.7 × 8.5 cm. The biographical record on Palma il Giovane supports the attribution. He carried on the artistic legacy of his uncle Palma il Vecchio (1480–1526)—who had trained in competition with his Venetian compatriot Titian—to new heights, drawing inspiration from Titian’s work and out of reverence for this master: He was 16 years old when he copied a painting by Titian, and after Titian’s death, he acquired an unfinished painting by Titian from the artist’s studio, which he completed. Attributing this portrait to him is the most likely explanation, especially given the stylistic similarities. The identity of the subject may also be clarified by Agostino Carracci’s graphic reproduction of a Titian self-portrait (Berlin, Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz) (our illustrative image); the fur cloak has also been incorporated into our original drawing. Unlike the portraits known to date, this one presents the master almost en face. The eleven portraits listed in H.E. Wethey’s catalog raisonné (The Paintings of Titian, II, The Portraits, London 1971, pp. 179–181), including later copies, follow the self-portraits in the turn of the head, emphasizing the sidelong glance. – A few small water stains in the white margin, a corner stain in the lower left, minor paper loss in the upper right corner, a crease running continuously along the upper right edge that slightly touches the drawing.