description San Giobbe Altarpiece Overview
The San Giobbe Altarpiece is a large sacra conversazione painted by Giovanni Bellini around 1487 for the church of San Giobbe in Venice. The Virgin and Child occupy a vaulted architectural setting with saints and musical angels, while the painted apse appears to extend the viewer's physical space. Executed in oil on panel, it is now held by the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice.
help San Giobbe Altarpiece FAQ
Which saints surround the Virgin in Bellini's San Giobbe Altarpiece?
The group includes Saint Job, Saint Sebastian, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Dominic, Saint Francis, and Saint Louis of Toulouse. Musical angels sit below the Virgin's throne and create a quiet ceremonial focus.
Why are Saint Job and Saint Sebastian important in this altarpiece?
Both saints had strong associations with suffering and protection from plague. That made them especially meaningful for the Venetian church of San Giobbe during a period repeatedly affected by epidemic disease.
How does the San Giobbe Altarpiece create the illusion of a chapel?
Bellini extends a vaulted apse behind the figures using perspective, mosaic-like decoration, and carefully directed light. The painted architecture appears to continue the real architectural space once occupied by the altar.
Where is the San Giobbe Altarpiece now?
The original panel is displayed in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. It was removed from the Church of San Giobbe, the site for which Bellini designed its illusionistic setting.
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