This monograph parses two early paintings by the Venetian High Renaissance artist Titian. His earliest extant work-St. Peter Enthroned, with Donor and Pope-is a wonderful, if somewhat awkward, completion of a commission begun by Giovanni Bellini. Scholarly controversies are examined and a secure time-frame of 1506 to the first half of 1507 is advanced, as well as the interpretation of an ex voto for the patron, Jacopo Pesaro, as prideful recognition of his commission as papal admiral in the Christian crusade against the Turks. This patron used art as a means to promote his ambitions, and Titian used it to demonstrate his ability to compete with Giovanni Bellini. The second work examined, the Pesaro Altarpiece, in situ at the Frari, had a long creative gestation which included several changes in composition that culminated in a new standard for pale- "altarpieces"-and sealed Titian's reputation as the leader of the Venetian school. This paper demystifies and disproves some art historical interpretations that have confused understanding of Titian's artistry and the significance of the painting.