Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Joseph of Arimathea, the Virgin and Mary Magdalene, including SS. Martha and Philip Benizi

Giovanni Bellini's Lamentation over the Dead Christ with Joseph of Arimathea, the Virgin, Mary Magdalene, Saints Martha and Philip Benizi, painted around 1510 and now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, is one of his final works. The late Lamentation demonstrates the extraordinary evolution of Bellini's art over six decades, from the sharp Paduan style of his youth to the warm, atmospheric luminosity of his old age. He died in 1516, still active and still innovating.

Bellini's late technique achieves unprecedented atmospheric softness with warm, blended tones and gentle light that envelops the mourning figures, representing the culmination of his lifelong exploration of light, color, and emotional expression.