Christ Blessing (Bellini, 1500)

Christ Blessing is a painting by Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini created around the year 1500.[1]

For the 1460 painting of the same name, see Christ Blessing (Bellini, 1460).
Christ Blessing
ArtistGiovanni Bellini
Yearc. 1500
Mediumtempera, oil, and gold on panel
Dimensions59 cm × 47 cm (23 in × 19 in)
LocationKimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

Analysis

The portrait depicts Jesus Christ, raising his right hand while gripping a red staff with the other. Christ's wounds are slightly visible on his hand as well as his chest. The shadows indicate the reality of his Resurrection. Meanwhile, the landscape in the background contains many motifs signifying the Resurrection. The withered tree and solitary bird on the left of the panel represent the Old Covenant, out of which the New Covenant will grow. The pair of rabbits in the lower left corner are symbols of regeneration, and the three robed figures in the lower right corner are the Three Marys. The bell tower in the distance conveys the message that salvation can be found through Christ and the Church.[2] Although the species is not very clear, the bird has been said to be a magpie, a species also featured in Pieter Bruegel the Elder's The Magpie on the Gallows (1568).[3]

Exhibition

The painting is currently held in the Kimbell Art Museum. In January 2017, the painting was displayed at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, as part of the "Giovanni Bellini: Landscapes of Faith in Renaissance Venice" exhibition.[4]

References
  1. "Giovanni Bellini, Christ Blessing". Kimbell Art Museum. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  2. "Christ Blessing". Google Arts and Culture. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  3. Jenkins, Philip. "Untangling the Mystery of the Bird and the Cross in a Masterpiece". Aleteia. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  4. Knight, Christopher. "Bellini masterpieces at the Getty make for one of the year's best museum shows". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
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