GIOVANNI BELLINI
A prominent member of
a large family of Venetian
painters, Bellini studied under
his father Jacopo, and brother-
in-law, Mantegna. He preferred
religious to classical themes,
and his work is distinctively
calm, lyrical, and contemplative.
He taught Giorgione Barbarelli
and Titian.
Transfer This delicate chalk
drawing is a cartoon—not a
humorous image but a type
of template used to plan the
composition of a larger work
Look closely and you will see
rows of tiny dots along every
significant line in the picture.
These are pinholes, which
were made in the process of
transferring the saint to his
final place in the composition
of a painting (see Glossary
pp.25 6-59).Character This is one of many
cartoons produced by Bellini
and his family. Sometimes the
same character was reused in
different narrative compositions.Head and Shoulders
of a Man
UNDATED
73 / 8 x 21 / 4 in (186 x 58 mm)
GIOVANNI BELLINI