Female beauty has compelled artists, well, forever it seems. But 16th-century Venice brought a focus to the female image that was new and important. The Republic of Venice was a haven for progressive sociopolitical attitudes, and women enjoyed rising status in the city. With Titian leading the way, painters turned their collective gaze upon female subjects. This exhibition, created in collaboration with Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, presents artists such as Tintoretto, Veronese, and Palma il Vecchio alongside Titian, whom his contemporaries called “The Sun Amidst Small Stars.” —E.C.