Italian painter and the leading master of the 16th-century Venetian School. Titian's technique prioritized rich color modulation and atmospheric light over rigid contour drawing (colorito in contrast to Tuscan disegno). His stylistic development progressed from the structured, harmonious clarity of the High Renaissance to a late, highly expressive impasto style with broad, fluid brushwork. His oeuvre encompasses monumental religious altarpieces, complex mythological allegories, and foundational European state portraiture.