Venetian painting is characterized by deep, rich colors and a strong interest in the effects of light.
1400 - 1500
Beginner's guide
Venice had everything—a stable republican government led by a Doge (“Duke”), wealth from trade, and a unique location as a gateway between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire.
videos + essays
We're adding new content all the time!
Giovanni Bellini, Brera Pietà
Bellini zooms in on three figures—the Virgin Mary, Christ, and John—to create a sense of our being with them after Christ's death
Vittore Carpaccio, Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Rialto Bridge
A painting shows life on the Grand Canal of Venice, including Black gondoliers
Carlo Crivelli, The Annunciation with Saint Emidius
What are Persian carpets, a peacock, and a cucumber doing in a painting of The Annunciation?
Do you speak Renaissance? Carlo Crivelli, Madonna and Child
What do a cucumber, a fly, figures in turbans, and ancient reliefs tell us about the Madonna and Child?
Aldo Manuzio (Aldus Manutius): inventor of the modern book
Printing and publishing in fifteenth century Venice, the Silicon Valley of its day
Devotional confraternities (scuole) in Renaissance Venice
Brotherhoods lent stability to religious and civic life. These wealthy institutions also commissioned paintings.
Saving Venice
10 inches—that’s how far Venice has sunk. As sea levels and tourism rise, can this historic city survive?
Giovanni Bellini and Titian,The Feast of the Gods
This canvas was rolled, varnished, reworked, and revised again. A classical scene, it once hung in a study.
Andrea Mantegna, San Zeno Altarpiece
Now in Technicolor! Mantegna’s saturated paint and vivid illusionism bring the Court of Heaven to life.
Oil paint in Venice
Their island climate didn’t suit fresco, so the Venetians tried oils instead—these paints blend when wet.
Giovanni Bellini, San Zaccaria Altarpiece
Bellini opens up this painting’s space, but holds the viewer at bay. The mood is calm, solemn, and contemplative.
Andrea Mantegna, Dead Christ
Mantegna was fascinated by perspective. His radical foreshortening and realism focus attention on Christ’s wounds.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
