Why it matters
The Madonna holds the blessing Christ Child, who stands on a parapet in front of a soft landscape of hills and a towered city. His staring, icon-like look recalls Byzantine painting, one of the roots of the Venetian school.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1475–1480.
- Bellini signed it on a cartouche below: IOANNES BELLINVS.
- The Child resembles the one in Bellini's San Giobbe Altarpiece.
Based on the Wikipedia article Contarini Madonna (CC BY-SA 4.0).
