The Presentation of Christ in the Temple ca.1469
The panel was first attributed to Giovanni Bellini in 1916; until then it had been considered a work of Mantegna, partly owing to a spurious inscription on the back of the work probably added in the eighteenth century.Due to its strong compositional similarities it has always been linked to Andrea Mantegna’s The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, now exhibited in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie. There is some discussion as to an exact date for the painting. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple by Mantegna, from 1454-1455, is the first example of a scenic representation of half-length figures in a single space. With the Querini panel Bellini wanted to practise on this sort of new and extraordinary composition, reviving the Venetian tradition. --- --- A comparison with early work by the artist indicates that some time passed between the two versions and allows a possible dating to the Querini version of around 1469.A palette rich with red shades, the use of brilliant and intense colours with strong contrasts, and the light sources which arrive simultaneously from above and below, reveal the Venetian roots of the artist.Various identifications have been proposed for the figures present in the Querini Stampalia panel: Giovanni and Andrea Mantegna to the right; Nicolosia Bellini and the mother of the artist, Anna Bellini, to the left; and perhaps Jacopo Bellini in the figure of Saint Joseph or in that of the High Priest.The wonderful under-drawing , discovered thanks to reflectography carried out in the process of the recent conservation project, confirms the attribution of this work to Giovanni Bellini. ( from the Fondazione's website )
The Presentation of Christ in the Temple ca.1469
The panel was first attributed to Giovanni Bellini in 1916; until then it had been considered a work of Mantegna, partly owing to a spurious inscription on the back of the work probably added in the eighteenth century.Due to its strong compositional similarities it has always been linked to Andrea Mantegna’s The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, now exhibited in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie. There is some discussion as to an exact date for the painting. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple by Mantegna, from 1454-1455, is the first example of a scenic representation of half-length figures in a single space. With the Querini panel Bellini wanted to practise on this sort of new and extraordinary composition, reviving the Venetian tradition. --- --- A comparison with early work by the artist indicates that some time passed between the two versions and allows a possible dating to the Querini version of around 1469.A palette rich with red shades, the use of brilliant and intense colours with strong contrasts, and the light sources which arrive simultaneously from above and below, reveal the Venetian roots of the artist.Various identifications have been proposed for the figures present in the Querini Stampalia panel: Giovanni and Andrea Mantegna to the right; Nicolosia Bellini and the mother of the artist, Anna Bellini, to the left; and perhaps Jacopo Bellini in the figure of Saint Joseph or in that of the High Priest.The wonderful under-drawing , discovered thanks to reflectography carried out in the process of the recent conservation project, confirms the attribution of this work to Giovanni Bellini. ( from the Fondazione's website )