Mini Post #1: 

Giovanni Bellini "San Giobbe Altarpiece" 1487

The photo is a painting created by Giovanni Bellini in 1487 depicting a sacred conversation. Bellini painted this artwork for the church of St. Giobbe in Venice. In the painting is illustrates the common theme of religion during the Renaissance time period.  It depicts the Virgin Mary and Jesus with a group of saints. In the center of the photo sit three angels with instruments looking up at the Virgin Mary and Jesus to show power. This painting was the first example of the Virgin Mary and other religious figures not in a heaven setting, but rather they are depicted on Earth.

Bellini demonstrates his use of oil in this particular painting by coating it with thin layers on top of each other. By doing this, Bellini is bringing more depth to the light within the frame. He is still displaying his skill of making his paintings more realistic. He also purposely adds a golden setting within the painting because he was inspired by St. Marks church. This church has an abundance of gold on its walls. This altarpiece is an example a single paneled altar which was not so popular at the time. This technique was first introduced to Venice by Bellini and was heavily influenced by Antonello da Messina. This painting was important during the time because earlier examples of altarpieces required at least two or more wooden panels to be created, but Bellini used only one. Research suggests this painting was in honor of plague victims during the time  period.