Artwork
Maria with child and two donors
Maria with child and two donors is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Gentile Bellini. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1460 by Gentile Bellini, a prominent Venetian painter, this canvas portrays the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ, accompanied by two kneeling donors. The composition is set against a warm golden backdrop that emphasizes a calm, devotional atmosphere. The work resides in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
Mary is shown in a black mantle with her head covered, cradling the child who holds a pomegranate—a symbol of resurrection and eternal life. Flanking them are two patrons, a man and a woman, both gazing upward and clasping their hands in prayer, underscoring the painting’s function as a devotional image and a testament to the donors’ piety.
Technique & Style
Bellini employs the early Renaissance language of clear spatial arrangement and naturalistic detail. The figures are rendered with soft modeling and subtle chiaroscuro, while the golden background provides a unified, luminous field that enhances the sense of intimacy and reverence.
History & Provenance
The painting predates Bellini’s 1474 appointment as official portraitist to the Venetian Doges. It later entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s early Renaissance holdings.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Gentile Bellini (c. 1429 – 23 February 1507) was a Venetian painter of the school of Venice. He came from Venice's leading family of painters, and, at least in the early part of his career, was more highly regarded than…
The Virgin and Child, St. Benedict and Saint Catherine of Siena
Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Bernardino of Siena and Six Angels
Virgin and Child with an Angel
The Madonna and Child with Saints Joseph, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist
Mary with the Child, Saint Jerome, Catherine of Siena and two angels
Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Angels
Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome, Bernardino of Siena, and Angels
Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome, John the ...
Madonna and Child enthroned with two Saints, Crucifixion