The Virgin and Child

Giovanni Bellini's Virgin and Child of around 1473 is one of the many devotional panel paintings in which Bellini explored the relationship between divine motherhood and human affection, each version finding new aspects of the inexhaustible subject. The particular treatment — the child's specific posture, the Virgin's expression, the landscape or architectural background — creates a unique devotional image from conventions that might otherwise become formulaic. Bellini's sustained innovation within established types is one of the most remarkable achievements of Renaissance painting.

The handling shows Bellini in transition between his early linear manner and the softer, more atmospheric style that oil paint would enable. The Virgin's face is modeled with increasing subtlety, the flesh tones warmer and more luminous than in his earlier tempera works.