Titian: Venus of Urbino

"The Venus of Urbino" Titian, Oil, 1538.

She stares at us coyly, almost teasingly. Her chestnut brown curls cascade down her bare shoulders. Her left hand grazing against her sex. "The Venus of Urbino" has been a subject of scholarly debate for a very long time. Some think she was a courtesan and others think she was the child bride of the Duke of Urbino. What was Titian's true purpose for painting this? Was it to appease the curiosity of the female nude and sexual craving of men during the Renaissance. Or was it just a piece to be marvel for its lush beauty. 

From the bundle of roses clutched in her right hand-to the sleeping dog- the symbols in "The Venus of Urbino" could possibly lead us closer to understanding the true meaning of the painting. 

Dogs have always been the symbol for fidelity and loyalty (from the Greek word Fido). A dormant dog could possibly symbolize the lack of fidelity. The red roses Venus holds could represents passion and love. Titian's painting seems to exude sexuality. 

I believe Titian's Venus is an object for the male gaze. Her sensuality is explicit. She evokes desire. She is the flawless beauty that men of the Renaissance were fascinated by and wished to possess. But who has the true power of the gaze? The viewer or Venus?