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Carpaccio, Bellini und die Frührenaissance in Venedig

Book cover – “Carpaccio, Bellini und die Frührenaissance in Venedig”

Vittore Carpaccio, Geburt der Jungfrau Maria, ca. 1502/03, Fondazione Accademia Carrara

Vittore Carpaccio, Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist, ca. 1500, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Vittore Carpaccio, Flight into Egypt, ca. 1515, National Gallery of Art Washington, Andrew W. Mellon Collection

Vittore Carpaccio, The Disputation of St Thomas Aquinas with St Mark and St Louis of Toulouse, 1507

Giovanni Bellini, Madonna and Child, 1465-1470, Rijksmuseum, J.W.E. vom Rath Bequest, Amsterdam.

Ai Weiwei, Untitled (St George and the Dragon), 2022

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A look at the early Venetian Renaissance

“Carpaccio, Bellini und die Frührenaissance in Venedig” sheds light on two artists who were among the most influential figures of a period of cultural and artistic change. With their paintings, Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini not only revolutionised the art of their era, but also documented the social and cultural life of the lagoon city around 1500. Their works, which capture the splendour and diversity of Venice, bear witness to a city that played a unique role as a crossroads for trade, politics and art. The combination of technical mastery and narrative depth makes her works valuable testimonies to this dynamic period.

Carpaccio’s narrative masterpieces

Vittore Carpaccio’s pictorial worlds are characterised by their narrative richness and exceptional attention to detail. His famous Ursula cycle in particular illustrates his ability to harmoniously combine historical and everyday scenes. In his works, Carpaccio combines magnificent architecture with lively figures that reflect the urban life of Venice, integrating influences from distant cultures. This complexity makes his paintings a visual chronicle that unites the past and present of his time. His works are not only documents of an era, but also a window into the world of Venetian society.

Bellini’s harmony and innovation

In contrast, Giovanni Bellini focussed on the further development of lighting and composition. His paintings, which often depict religious motifs, are characterised by a special harmony and technical precision. Bellini relied on the innovative use of oil painting, which gave his works an incomparable intensity of colour and spatial depth. At the same time, he combined traditional elements of Byzantine art with modern approaches, which had a lasting influence on later artists such as Giorgione and Titian. Bellini’s art goes beyond aesthetic perfection and demonstrates a deep understanding of symbolic and spiritual content that still touches us today.

The timelessness of Venetian painting

“Carpaccio, Bellini und die Frührenaissance in Venedig” is more than just a companion volume on art history. It combines analytical depth with a vivid presentation and thus offers an approach to the early Venetian Renaissance that is both historical and timeless. The art-technological and cultural perspectives presented in the texts open up new insights into the work of Carpaccio and Bellini. It becomes clear how relevant their art still is today. The clear organisation of the book and the numerous illustrations makethe book a valuable reference work for anyone interested in the diversity and radiance of Venetian painting.

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Further information

Further information on the book “Carpaccio, Bellini and the Early Renaissance in Venice” (DE) (advertising) can be found on the Hirmer Verlag website.