Accademia - Part 2

 There was so much to see at the Accademia...

The Conversation by Giovanni Bellini

This altarpiece was originally painted for the church of St. Giobbe in Venice. It shows the common religious theme of The Virgin Mary in consultation with a group of saints and a heavenly gathering. 

The saints depicted are, from left to right, St Francis, St John, St Job, St Dominic, St Sebastian and St Louis. Three angels with musical instruments sit at the base of The Virgin's throne.

 

The Tempest by Giorione (Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco; 1478 - 1510)

There are few paintings in the history of art to have caused as much discussion as The Tempest by Giorgione. The work of art is as mysterious as its artist. Very little is known about him; his real name has only recently been discovered and very few documents can provide certain evidence of his existence.

An Italian painter of the High Renaissance in Venice, Giorgione is known for the elusive poetic quality of his work, though only about six surviving paintings are acknowledged for certain to be his work.

The resulting uncertainty about the identity and meaning of his art has made Giorgione one of the most mysterious figures in European painting.

His name sometimes appears as Zorzo. The variant Giorgione (or Zorzon) may be translated “Big George.”