Mantegna and Bellini


Superb exhibition at the National Gallery looking at the work of the brothers-in-law Mantegna and Bellini.

I love the work of both these artists and have been interested in the fact there were related by marriage so found this show fascinating and will definitely be going back to do the tape tour and study the pictures in more detail. The pictures were beautifully shown and I loved the use that was made of drawings to enhance the arguments it makes.

The show proposes that the two artists inspired each other and used similar themes. I formed the impression that often Mantegna tried out an idea first which Bellini then adapted an enhanced. I love the clarity and sharpness of Mantegna and his story telling ability but also like Bellini’s soft lyrical style. I was surprised that the possible influence of Netherlandish artists was not mentioned until the 5th room as the use of false frames and landscape was screaming Van Eyck at me much earlier in the show.

I loved the fact that the show matched paintings of the same theme by the artists side by side. Not just the galleries own two version of the Agony in the Garden but also St Jeromes, two versions of the Presentation at Temple and the Descent of Christ into Limbo.

My favourite room was the last one which brought private devotional works together with portraits as both were detailed studies of people. It was particularly interesting as these works came from a time when the artists were working apart with Bellini in Venice and Mantegna in Mantua. It included the gallery’s own, stunning Dog Loredan by Bellini but also a beautiful portrait of a similar level of realism by Mantegna of Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan which I’d never seen before.

Closes on 27 January 2019

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