Giovanni Bellini was born in Venice, Italy, in the year 1430. He came from a family of artists. At the time of Giovanni's birth, Florence and Rome were the two great centers of Renaissance art. However, as a result of the contributions of the Bellini family, Venice also came to be known as a place where important art was created. Bellini mostly painted religious themes early in his career, but later he became one of the best Renaissance landscape artists. He made his paintings in a new unique way, usually adding beautiful effects, hazy warm light, and deep, glowing shades of color.
Giovanni had a mother, Anna Rerveri; a father, Jacopo Bellini; a brother, Gentile; and a sister, Nicolssa. Jacopo was also an artist. His sons, Giovanni and Gentile, worked in their father’s workshop as apprentices before they started painting. Giovanni’s early paintings were done in tempera. In time, he started painting in oil, as he realized oil was more vibrant than tempera. Giovanni painted in layers, creating an amazing variety of effects. Three of his most well-known paintings are St. Francis in the Desert, painted in 1480, The Madonna in the Meadow, painted between 1500 and 1505, and The Feast of the Gods, painted in 1514 and finished after Giovanni’s death by his pupil, Titian.
Little is known about the rest of Giovanni’s personal life. There is evidence that he was happy, prosperous, and well-liked and respected by other artists and regular people. He was fortunate to achieve success in his lifetime and see how his style of painting influenced many artists. One of the most important was Titian, who later became even more famous than his teacher. Giovanni died in 1516 at the age of 86. Sadly, in 1577, 61 years after his death, most of his well-known paintings were destroyed in a large fire at a church. This meant that some of the Renaissance’s most famous paintings were gone forever.
Giovanni had a mother, Anna Rerveri; a father, Jacopo Bellini; a brother, Gentile; and a sister, Nicolssa. Jacopo was also an artist. His sons, Giovanni and Gentile, worked in their father’s workshop as apprentices before they started painting. Giovanni’s early paintings were done in tempera. In time, he started painting in oil, as he realized oil was more vibrant than tempera. Giovanni painted in layers, creating an amazing variety of effects. Three of his most well-known paintings are St. Francis in the Desert, painted in 1480, The Madonna in the Meadow, painted between 1500 and 1505, and The Feast of the Gods, painted in 1514 and finished after Giovanni’s death by his pupil, Titian.
Little is known about the rest of Giovanni’s personal life. There is evidence that he was happy, prosperous, and well-liked and respected by other artists and regular people. He was fortunate to achieve success in his lifetime and see how his style of painting influenced many artists. One of the most important was Titian, who later became even more famous than his teacher. Giovanni died in 1516 at the age of 86. Sadly, in 1577, 61 years after his death, most of his well-known paintings were destroyed in a large fire at a church. This meant that some of the Renaissance’s most famous paintings were gone forever.