On the Titian’s self-portrait mentioned by Vasari with technical analysis of an anonymous painting

Abstract In his biography of Titian Giorgio Vasari reports the existence of a self-portrait made by the painter before 1541 which is now lost. Recently, the sitter of an ancient painting has been noted to show resemblance with Titian’s lineaments. A study by means of Macro X-Ray Fluorescence and UV-IR imaging of this painting has been conducted seeking elements useful to verify whether it could be the lost portrait mentioned by Vasari. The analysis provided consistency in terms of pigments and absence of underlying drawings with Titian’s style, but also revealed extensive restoration which prevents firm attribution. Stringent analogies of the painting with the portrait of Pietro Aretino made by Titian in 1537 are also noted.