Titian created the 1518 altarpiece Assumption of the Virgin for Venice’s Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.
Titian, whose birth name was Tiziano Vecelli, painted the monumental altarpiece between 1516 and 1518. It shows the Virgin Mary rising toward heaven, with God the Father above and the apostles below reacting dramatically to the event.
The work was unusually large and energetic for a Venetian altarpiece. Its strong red, blue, and gold accents, forceful gestures, and upward movement helped establish Titian as Venice’s leading painter. The painting’s emphasis on color and atmosphere is often associated with the Venetian tradition.
The Assumption was installed in the Frari in 1518 and remains there. It is distinct from Titian’s later Pesaro Madonna, which is also in the same church. Another common mix-up is identifying the subject as the Ascension: the Ascension concerns Christ, while the Assumption concerns Mary.