The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's premier cultural institutions, houses the artwork titled A Pencil Sketch of the Painter Titian, Painting Venus, Inventory No. 2138(I)/33, by Nicaise De Keyser (1813-1887), a prominent Belgian artist and director of the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts from 1855 to 1879.

This meta-artistic sketch depicts the renowned Renaissance master Titian (c. 1488-1576) in the act of creating one of his most celebrated works, the Venus of Urbino (1534). This approach represents more than a simple historical illustration; it embodies a dialogue across centuries of artistic tradition, with a 19th-century Belgian artist paying homage to a 16th-century Venetian master.

Titian's Venus of Urbino, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, stands as a landmark in the history of European art, representing both the height of Venetian Renaissance painting and a pivotal development in the representation of the female nude. By choosing to depict Titian creating this specific work, De Keyser emphasises the painting's canonical status and its continuing influence on European artistic traditions.

De Keyser's sketch reflects the 19th-century fascination with artistic lineage and the lives of great masters. During this period, artists and academics increasingly viewed the history of art as a narrative of genius and influence, with modern artists positioning themselves as inheritors of classical traditions while simultaneously asserting their own innovations.

This drawing exemplifies how mythology—in this case, the classical figure of Venus—continued to serve as a common reference point across disparate historical periods and artistic movements. It demonstrates the enduring power of mythological subjects to connect artists across time, creating continuity within Western artistic tradition while accommodating evolving aesthetic sensibilities and technical approaches.