Assumption of the Virgin

Titian painted the Assumption of the Virgin between 1515 and 1518 for the high altar of the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. At nearly 7 meters tall, it's the largest altarpiece in the city. The red robes of two apostles form a pyramid leading up to the Virgin's red gown, drawing the eye toward God in his red robes above.

The public unveiling on May 19, 1518 caused a sensation. The agitated figures of the Apostles broke with Venetian tradition, where saints typically stood in meditative stillness. Some viewers found it shocking, but it soon established Titian as Venice's leading artist, a rival to Michelangelo and Raphael.

The painting was removed for conservation in 1818 and spent a century at the Venice Academy before returning to the Frari in 1919. Recent investigation found paint lifting from vibrations caused by organ pipes installed behind it. Save Venice Inc. funded conservation beginning in 2018.