Sacred Conversation
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Giovanni Bellini

Sarah 8T - March 31, 2006

Giovanni Bellini was born around 1426 in Venice. His early and personal life is either unknown or uncertain. His family, the Bellini's, were one of the greatest artistic families of Venice and the leaders of the Venetian Renaissance. His father, Jacopo, was also a painter and so was his older brother, Gentile. At the time of his birth, his father was married to Anna Rinversi. Giovanni's mother could have been her or another woman prior to her, or a woman with whom Jacopo had an affair. His artistic education was in his father's workshop. This is all that is known about his youth.
His father's work was in the style of the late Gothic and Byzantine period, which was the current style of Venice. At the time, Venice had not yet entered its artistic Renaissance. This type of painting was where Giovanni initiated his work and from there was able to develop his techniques. His stylistic developments lead Venice to the artistic style of their own Renaissance. His innovations were the biggest achievements in Venetian art and the most influential. The Venetian High Renaissance did not actually include him timewise, yet any of the other artists' achievements would not be possible without his work. His artistic development, or phases, can be categorized by his main influences. His earliest phase is influenced by Andrea Mantegna, his second by Piero della Francesca, his mature work by Antonello da Messina, and his last phase by Giorgione.
Bellini's early work has major traces of his father's style. Despite this influence, he was mostly influenced by Andrea Mantegna. Mantegna was Padua's best painter and married Nicolasina, Giovanni's little sister, in 1453. He developed Florentine and Tuscan styles, which were the classic styles of the time. Mantegna was detailed, linear and precise. He had already developed his own techniques, and had a subtle way of using light and color that affected Giovanni's development in creating Tonalism. This phase in Bellini's work lasted from roughly 1445 to 1460. Giovanni used Mantegna's concepts for lines, but still let the space stay open and free; creating an atmosphere, while Mantegna' space was very precisely organized. Atmospheric effects were one of the most important characteristics in Giovanni's painting and Venetian painting. With these atmospheric effects, he started to express human emotions. He played with light in order to create the sentiments.
In the next few decades, Bellini emphasized a major characteristic of his painting style; the relationship between the scene and its setting. This relationship is a juxtaposition of the meaning of the depiction and the atmosphere of the landscape. This relationship is present in all of his work. It was the influence of a Tuscan painter, Piero della Francesca. He also gave him the influence of more structured Tuscan ideas. Bellini practiced these ideas of perspective and space and other classical artistic concepts. Francesca's paintings simply had a theme of man and nature, unlike Mantegna's very symbolic work.
Bellini started portraiture in 1470 and continued it throughout the rest of his career. In 1470, he also began to paint for The Scuola Grande di San Marco. It was not until 1475 that Bellini actually started to use landscapes in his Madonna and Child depictions which were his most distinctive theme. He depicted this theme starting from his earliest years. They are unique because the Madonna and child have a very deep and profound connection that has traces of sadness. Another evident theme in his work was the Pietá. Bellini only used religious themes and subjects.
When Antonello da Messina, a Sicilian painter with Flemish techniques, arrived in Venice in 1475, a major innovation occurred. He had a technique mixing oil paint and tempera that revolutionized the Renaissance painting of Venice. Prior to him, Venice used tempera, a medium with a base of egg that doesn't allow much freedom. This new technique used layering: The first layer was a coat of a mixture of oil and egg tempera on top of a dark, surfaced piece of wood. Then, one would layer on coats of oil colors. Bellini added to this technique by adding enamel into this mixture in order to make the color richer. Bellini's use of oil paint allowed him to create a calm atmosphere, because of the soft tones that the paint created with its ease of motion. This emphasis on fused color rather than rigid lines was also an influence of Messina. Messina's figures were realistic, but soft, and his paintings had structured perspective. This got rid of the linear forms and the Tuscan influence in his paintings. This influence was the base of Giovanni's late and most confident phase.
This oil painting revolution was a turning point in Bellini's development as a painter. In 1480, the Venetian government started to pay him each year to paint for them. In 1483, he was appointed official painter of the Republic of Venice, meaning that the painted for the Doges. He was the official painter of Venice for thirty years. He became a member of the Scuola Grande di San Marco in 1484. Soon around that time he married Giovanna Bocheta and they had one son, Alvise. Through these years and following them was when Giovanni's true style blossomed. By 1488, the color in his paintings became much softer and more blended. From then on, he no longer depended on his influences, but on the basis of Venetian Painting, a style that he created. He focused on the color, light, and space and what they expressed. The light, more specifically, was natural light, used for the expression of human emotions and the creation of an atmosphere. This method was also known as Tonalism (developing tones of light and color.) Tonalism is a style which focuses less on formality, precision and imagery, and more on light and color, and their effect on the space and atmosphere. He began to put the paint onto the surface directly instead of drawing or outlining on the surface prior to painting.
These principles were those of the Venetian School of painting. The Venetian School of Painting was supposedly founded by Bellini. It was a congregation of painters during Venice's most important artistic period. In Bellini's workshop, some of his pupils included Giorgione, Titian, Jacopo Vecchio, and Sebastiano del Piombo. This unified group of artists used Venice's essential painting qualities and made their city into a center of Renaissance art that was even competition for Florence.
The last phase in Bellini's career was the height of his development. He was very old yet his abilities were still very acute. His painting, “Sacra Conversazione,” is considered to be an excellent representation of this peak in his career. “Sacra Conversazione,” meaning “Sacred Conversation,” was done in 1505 when Bellini was around seventy-nine years old or even in his early eighties. It is located in the Church of San Zaccaria in Venice. It is an altarpiece, meaning that it was meant to be put behind the altar of the church. It is 5 meters by 2.35 meters. This altarpiece isn't behind the altar, but in it. According to Carlo Ridolfi, a Venetian writer who wrote about art, it was commissioned in memory of Pietro Cappello. It is one of his most famous paintings. A Sacred Conversation is a religious depiction of the Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints. The saints that are represented here are Saint Peter, Saint Catherine, Saint Lucia, and Saint Jerome. At the feet of the Madonna is a musical cherub.
The Madonna and Child, also known as the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus Christ, are extremely important figures in the Christian religion. The Madonna is Jesus's mother, and in Christianity, God impregnated her so she remained a virgin. She is also considered to be a Virgin because of her holiness and purity. They lived in the beginning of the first century A.D. They are considered sacred because she was chosen by God to give birth to his messenger to humanity. Jesus Christ is the base of the religion of Christianity because of his teachings, death and resurrection. A musical cherub is a child-like angel who plays music, who in this painting is at the feet of the Madonna. Putting a musician at the feet of the Virgin is a specialty of Bellini. This cherub is playing a viola. This little angel symbolizes order and harmony.
Saint Peter, the apostle, is an extremely important figure in Christianity. He was one of Jesus's disciples or apostles. He was one of the three 'pillars' of Jesus, his closest disciples; Peter, James, and John. By the early Christian church he is considered to be the leader of the disciples. Peter's original name was Simon or Simeon. He was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, which is in Northern Israel, where Jesus was from. He met Jesus at the beginning of his teachings and was asked to become a disciple. Jesus promised Peter that he would be 'the fisherman of humanity.' Jesus renamed him 'Cephas', a Hebrew name meaning rock. Its Latin translation, 'Petra,' turned into Peter. He is named Peter because he is metaphorically the rock upon which the church stands and he was asked by God to “build the church upon this stone.” He was the founder of the Church. He is named 'rock,' because he is metaphorically the rock on which the Church was created. When he came to Rome in order to spread Christianity, he became the first Pope. It was illegal to practice Christianity then, so he was crucified upside-down near the present location of the Vatican. For this reason, he is a martyred saint. He was buried and a small church was built in his honor in St. Peter's square. As pilgrimage increased, the church was expanded, eventually becoming Saint Peter's Basilica. The Vatican was also built, making this place the center of Christianity. Symbols of Saint Peter are keys, a rooster and a boat. He is pictured with keys, because they are the keys to the church. Since the church is considered the way to get to heaven, they are also the keys to get into heaven and he is the one who greets you.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a martyred saint, meaning that she died while pursuing her faith. She is also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel. She lived in Alexandria, Egypt in the early 4th century A.D. She is actually one of the most popular early Christian martyrs, yet everything about her is very uncertain. According to legend, she was a very smart, scholarly, and educated girl from a noble family. While Maxentius was the Roman Emperor, she demonstrated against the oppression of Christians. She did this by converting Maxentius's wife and a few of his soldiers to Christianity. She even outsmarted a few scholars who Maxentius had asked to oppose her. She was sentenced to death and was meant to be killed by a spiked wheel, which is a method of torture. The minute she touched the wheel, it broke, so she was beheaded instead. This wheel has become the symbol of Saint Catherine and is called the Catherine wheel. She is the patron saint of philosophers and scholars because of how she used her mind and wit to protest. Her body was taken to Mount Sinai by angels of death.
Saint Lucia, or Lucy, is a very well known saint. She is also a martyred saint. She lived in Syracuse, Sicily in the early 4th century. She was a young Christian woman whose mother arranged her marriage to a pagan man. Lucia tried to show her mother how much better it would be for her to devote herself to Christ rather than this man. Her mother had an incurable illness that would last for her whole life, but when Lucia went to pray at Saint Agatha's tomb, her mother was miraculously cured. Her mother allowed Lucia to break off her engagement because of this miracle. The rejected fiancé told the governor of that region that she was Christian. As a punishment, the governor took her to become a prostitute, but when the guards came to take her away, they claimed that she was not fit for the job. They said she was too heavy and bulky. She was eventually killed. Her torture, sentenced by Diocletian, who was the current Roman Emperor, was eye-gouging. Her eyes were restored by God so she carries a little vase with two eyes in it as a symbol of this. Her name is connected to her legend because “Lucia” means light and her groom didn't “see the same light” that she did. She is the patron saint of blindness because of her restoration from God after her torture.
Saint Jerome, known as the Doctor of the Church, was the most educated of the fathers of the Western Church. Unlike the other saints, he is not martyred. He lived in the 4th and 5th Century. He was a priest who spent his life traveling and studying, so he is known as a hermit. He served Pope Damascus and created a new movement of Christianity. His version of the Vulgate, the Latin Bible, is the translated version of the Bible that is used today. His life was filled with many accomplishments. He translated or revised almost all of the books from the Old Testament. He mastered an incredible number of languages. The different ways that he is depicted by artists are with a lion, in the robes of a Cardinal, because of his work with the Pope, as a scholar in his study, and in the desert, because of his four years of solitary reflection and wandering.
This is a religious depiction, just like all of Bellini's paintings. These religious figures are grouped around the Madonna and Child, who are elevated, accentuating their importance. The two saints on the left of the Madonna are Saint Peter and Saint Catherine, and on the right is Saint Lucia and Saint Jerome. You can distinguish Saint Peter from the book in his right hand, his typical clothing of an apostle, which is a tunic dress and shawl, and the keys in his left hand. Saint Catherine is identifiable because of the broken wheel that she is leaning on and the quill in her hand, indicating scholarship. Jerome is identifiable because of his red robes, like a Cardinal, and the fact that he is reading. You can identify Lucia because of the vase with two eyes in it that she is holding. If you look very closely at the marble platform that the Madonna and Jesus are sitting on, you can see the words “IOANNES BELLINUS, MCCCCCV.” This means Giovanni Bellini in Latin and the Roman Numerals mean 1505, the year that this painting was done. Bellini puts this signature and date in all of his paintings and it is usually in some structure like this.
The meaning of this painting is to portray a sacredness, hence the name “Sacred Conversation.” This conversation is not meant to be human, which you can clearly see from the fact that they are not literally speaking. This shows that they have a much more profound and unspoken connection, given that they are sacred saints. Other than the fact that we know who these figures are, their holiness is depicted with the atmosphere. There is a timeless feeling and tranquility among them building a divine and unobtainable space. Like all of Bellini's paintings, it is a still image that is from a frontal and central viewpoint and it has a posed perfection. All of these figures were alive in different times, and if they did know each other, for example Jesus and Peter, Jesus would not be a baby and Peter an old man. This is a religious depiction, so Bellini has an artistic license to depict them in any way he wants to. In my opinion, this suggests that they are in a state beyond life; they are sacred and immortal and absolutely holy. Like most saints, they are portrayed barefoot, adding to there holiness. Amidst this holy atmosphere there is a melancholy air to the figures. This is a typical quality of Bellini when depicting the Madonna and Child. He always shows a deep connection between them, while keeping an unmentioned sadness lingering. In this painting, I believe that it is shown by the figures. Every single figure is looking down or away, avoiding our gazes. The only figure that is looking at us is the cherub, who is like a messenger between their heavenly state and our mortal world of earth. They are too heavenly to notice us, but the cherub, who is less sacred, can act as a go-between. It is as if they are depressed or mourning. There is a large contrast between the stimulating light and colors and the somber figures. It also gives the painting a mysterious feeling, as if there is some unknown detail missing. More specifically, the Madonna and child show this sadness. The Madonna and child may be focused upon, but they are less attached to each other. Even the other figures are detached from each other. In all of Bellini's Sacred Conversations, the figures are separated.
This Sacred Conversation was a new development of the Venetian Renaissance. In this painting, Bellini opens up the structure within the painting to a landscape. Bellini was the first painter to do this. This was the first time that Bellini did this with such a full and open landscape with one of his Sacred Conversations, yet he had already used it in other themes. The purpose of opening up the scene was to use the natural light, which creates an overall atmosphere to the painting. This softened the forms and used Tonalism to a fuller level. One of Bellini's most important aspects is having a sensitivity to light. He lets the light enter the structure and follow the curve of the apse. It is amazing how realistically Bellini makes the scene look like it is outside and open. The light surrounds the Madonna and child just like the Saints do. Following the curve of the apse, the vanishing point and the brightest point in the painting is baby Jesus, showing his importance and sacredness. The light surrounds the figures in a very warm glow, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
The difference between this Sacred Conversation and other ones of Bellini, for example the San Giobbe Altarpiece and the Frari Triptych, was this new use of light. He uses the architectural structure and open landscape to make this illuminated image.
The natural lighting brings out the rich and vibrant colors. The warm glow in the painting is not only created by the light, but by the color too. The orange colors in the garments of the figures also follow the curve of the apse, creating this surrounding warmth and peaceful atmosphere. The color red is used with the perspective of the painting. It creates a triangle with Saint Catherine, Saint Jerome and the Madonna. This triangle leads the eye to the Madonna, showing her and Jesus's significance. The Madonna is dressed in her typical clothing, including a blue mantel. Her mantel is a very vibrant blue, drawing your eye to it immediately, also accentuating her presence. All of the elements in the painting lead up to their colossal importance. This painting was the height of Bellini's tonalism and he really made the best of it using the most incredible tones of light and color, also because this altarpiece is oil on wood.
A Sacred Conversation is always in an open space that uses perspective, making the figures appear to be conversing with one another. All altarpieces have this orientation, yet this one is unique. It is placed within the actual altar and imitates the altar's architectural structure, adding to its symmetry. Like all Sacred Conversations, the figures are grouped together using perspective, which is evident from the floor. The floor used in this painting is the floor that is in most Venetian churches. The apse is the structure in which the figures are in. It is the semi-circular vault that is behind the altar. In this case, there is no apse, but it is pictured in the painting. He not only uses the apse for the adaptation of light, but for the symmetry of the figures. The saints are perfectly arranged in an order mimicking the structure of the apse. This also adds to the harmonious feeling of the painting. All of these aspects make the figures unified and the space symmetrical. The way that the space is composed in this painting and in most of Bellini's paintings was copied by many Venetian artists.
On the 23rd of February, 1506, the year after the completion of this painting, Gentile, Giovanni's brother, died. Giovanni inherited from his brother, his father's notorious sketchbooks, which were a large influence on Giovanni's painting. Giovanni's last phase was influenced by Giorgione, even if he was a pupil of Bellini. Giorgione developed Tonalism even further. His color was even softer, and he also used the idea of the landscape creating an atmosphere. Giorgione used the 'modern' techniques that Bellini, being so old, was not familiar with. This renewed Bellini's style. Giorgione's style is even evident in “Sacra Conversazione.”
Bellini's last painting, “Portrait of Teodoro of Urbino,” was started in 1515, when Bellini was around ninety years old. Giovanni Bellini died on November 29th, 1516, leaving this painting unfinished and a great legacy behind. Bellini had an incredible life, whether it was his 60 year long career or his innovative ideas. His life was extraordinarily long and he produced over 200 works of art. One thing is for certain, he created the independent style of the Venetian Renaissance. He initiated a love of light, color and space that lasted far longer than his own life. What greater an act could he have done?
Bellini's paintings are pretty straightforward. They have a title and they are all images that are still and seen from the front. At a first glance all you see is this religious snapshot that you see and move on from, yet somehow there is this human understanding that goes deeper than just the paint that seems to be radiating off of it. You look into this vibrant, warm and peaceful painting and you have to wonder if Bellini had further intentions than to just portray something for people to pray at in a church. This is something that we'll never know, yet as you walk away from one of his paintings you can feel some great internal instinct that is telling us that there is something more, some sacredness that not only the painting possessed, but that he did.

Pietá - 1460

San Giobbe Altarpiece - 1487

Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan - 1500

I chose these three paintings in order to show Bellini's development from his linear paintings to his complete embrace of Tonalism. Also, the San Giobbe Altarpiece can be used to compare with the San Zaccaria Altarpiece to clearly see Bellini's innovations and developments.