St. Francis in the Desert
One painting of Bellini's that shows that he is an ideal Renaissance man is St. Francis in the Desert. The painting portrays St. Francis looking at the sky with the marks of Jesus's crucifixion on his hands. The painting is sometimes called St. Francis in Ecstasy because it shows the moment of rapture experienced by Francis when he received the stigmata as a sign of his connection with God. In the background are some farm animals, a walled town, and a rabbit peeking out of the rocks. This painting by Bellini was started in 1475 and finished in 1480. The painting shows realism because it shows a biblical scene, but one that has been moved to the country-side that Bellini was familiar with and that includes details of ordinary life. The landscape has realistic features including the texture of the rocks. The landscape colors appear as they would in real life. This painting by Bellini also shows the Renaissance ideal of individualism because Bellini signed it in the lower left corner. It is also not a traditional way of showing Saint Francis and his experience of the stigmata. The painting is Bellini's individual interpretation of an important biblical scene.