I really dig this A Monk With a Book painting by the 16th century art master, Titian in 1550. First off, it looks just like a photograph. The detail is out of this world. Second, it is unlike any Titian I have seen; which granted, is not a lot.

I can’t even imagine the talent it takes to paint such a lifelike image, much less the hours. It reminds me of Friar Tuck in Robinhood.

No one knows who the monk is, but experts say that it was no ordinary monk. It was probably a famous cleric, a celebrity in his time to have been painted by Titian.

Regardless, critics were not pleased with it, as it lacked the trademark color. They found it “drab and unconvincing.” Many doubted that it was an actual Titian piece.

#art, #arthistory, #artmaster, #portrait, #titian, #monkwithabookpainting