Altarpiece of St. Vincent Ferrer

The Altarpiece of Saint Vincent Ferrer is a tempera painting on panel by Giovanni Bellini, made for the altar dedicated to this saint in the basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice. Ferrer was a Spanish Dominican canonised only in 1455, and his order was actively promoting his cult, so the commission carries a strong devotional purpose. A receipt issued to the prior of the time, Giovanni da Merano, indicates that the altar was finished in 1464, which places the painting around that decade. Some scholars suggest Bellini may have produced the many panels in stages, since their stylistic differences are noticeable. The work was already cited as a Bellini in 1581, by Francesco Sansovino.

The composition is arranged in two tiers. In the central row, from left to right, stand Saint Christopher with the Christ Child, Saint Vincent Ferrer and Saint Sebastian. In the upper tier, a Pietà is flanked by an Annunciation, with the archangel Gabriel on the left and the Virgin Mary on the right. Above the Pietà there was originally a lunette showing God the Father, toward whom the Virgin directs her gaze; Boschini recorded it in 1664, but it was later lost. The predella, with scenes of the saint's miracles, may be partly the work of another hand, perhaps Lauro Padovano, which was common in large workshop altarpieces.

The ensemble stands out for its clear figures, calm gestures and the prominence of the saints set against a landscape. It is valuable for understanding how Venetian painting of the Quattrocento combined devotion, narrative and attention to light. The altarpiece was restored in 1994, and it still stands on the altar for which it was painted.

Painter

Giovanni Bellini

Date

1500

Medium

tempera, panel

Dimensions

275 × 31 cm

Museum

Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

Movement

Italian Renaissance painting

Genre

religious art

Depicts

landscape, Saint Sebastian, Saint Christopher, angel, white people, boy, Jesus Christ, Vincent Ferrer

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