Painting in Context: Bellini, The Feast of the Gods
- Each presentation starts with the basic information on the painting such as its location in a museum or a gallery, the map of the location of the scene if applicable, and other pertinent details such as the history of the painting and the story depicted by the painter.
- Next, you find slides describing the painting technique of the artist and, if applicable, information on the scientific investigation of the artwork.
- The majority of the slides shows a detailed pigment analysis of the painting containing detailed views of different areas of the artwork and the pigments employed by the painter.
The first slides give an overview of the history of this Renaissance painting and the background of Alfonso d’Este, the Duke of Ferrara, who ordered it for his famous art collection.
Bellini’s inspiration for this painting were Ovid’s Fasti. Priapus was just about to take advantage of the sleeping nymph Loti when his intentions were thwarted by the loud braying of Silenius’s donkey.
Bellini’s inspiration for this painting were Ovid’s Fasti. Priapus was just about to take advantage of the sleeping nymph Loti when his intentions were thwarted by the loud braying of Silenius’s donkey.
The Feast of the Gods underwent a thorough cleaning and conservation procedure at the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1985 and was extensively investigated by a variety of scientific methods.
Bellini’s rich palette consisted of the usual pigments of the Renaissance period.
Bellini’s rich palette consisted of the usual pigments of the Renaissance period.
