(Student’s Full Name)
Giovanni Bellini was known as the “greatest Venetian painter of the early Italian Renaissance” (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 2). One of the reasons that he is considered to be one of the best painters during this period is his advanced oil painting techniques. In fact, he was “one of the first Venetian painters to devote himself to the medium of art painting” (“Giovanni Bellini [1430-1516]” par. 7). One of the paintings that demonstrates his advanced oil painting techniques is the Portrait of Joerg Fugger that was painted in 1474. This paper will provide a description of the painting (which is located at Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, CA) and an analysis of the techniques used by the Renaissance painter.
The subject, who is depicted in the painting, is Joerg Fugger, who was the “heir of a wealthy German banking family” (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 2). The portrait was done when he was 21 and he is seen wearing a “garland of small blue blossoms” in his hair (“Portrait of Jeorg Fugger” par. 2). This means that he is a “student of ancient learning” (“Portrait of Jeorg Fugger” par. 2). There is nothing within the painting that appears to allude to a religious subject; therefore, it is a secular and not a devotional work.
As mentioned previously, Bellini chose oil as a medium to depict his subject. This made him different from many of the other painters within his region and time who often chose to work with tempera as a medium. Bellini’s painting techniques in the Portrait of Joerg Fugger fused both “Italian skill in anatomy” and “composition” and “Dutch realism” (“Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516” par. 7). The painter chose to allow his subject to be placed in the “three-quarter turn” rather than “the profile view” (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 3). This is effective because it allows an individual to focus on the intense gaze of the subject in the painting.
Additionally, the use of oil paint allows the painting (which is set against a black background) to have a glow or iridescence to it. This glow or radiance allows the painting’s subject to be more animated. Bellini demonstrates considerable skill in composing the subject since the painter is able to allow the painting’s subject to have a three-dimensional and, therefore, life-like look. The painter takes advantage of light and shadow to achieve this effect. Furthermore, Bellini allowed Joerg Fugger’s portrait to have many details, which permitted it to have a realistic appearance. For instance, Joerg Fugger’s hair shows many ringlets of curls that permit the subject’s hair to have a vibrant look. The inclusion of these small details adds to the realism illustrated in Bellini’s work. Additionally, the “subtle tonal variation [s]” in the face of the subject adds to its realistic appearance (“Giovanni Bellini [1430-1516]” par. 8).
It should be acknowledged that the “compositional and stylistic innovations” in Portrait of Joerg Fugger influenced the “next generation of artists such as Raphael, Leonardo, and Fra Bartolomeo” (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 3). However, although these artists may have had access to the painting, it should be noted that the painting was intended for private viewing since it was not originally intended to be sold in a gallery for public consumption. The painting, which is the “first known portrait” by Bellini, is a notable one because it departs from the “stiff, stylized, late Gothic tradition” of “portraiture” that was seen all over in Italy, including Venice (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 3). Therefore, the meaning of the Portrait of Joerg Fugger to the Venetian audience was that oil on canvas can be an effective medium in animating the subject and giving it life-like qualities. This is even more the case when advanced and innovative techniques are used when working with the medium.
In conclusion, it can be said that Bellini’s Portrait of Joerg Fugger represents a turning point in Venetian portraiture since it relied on the use of advanced and innovative painting techniques to allow the subject to have an animated and life-like appearance. Some of these techniques include the use of the “three-quarter turn,” the use of “subtle tonal variations” and the inclusion of minute details in the painting (“Portrait of Joerg Fugger” par. 3; “Giovanni Bellini [1430-1516]” par. 8). In addition, the painting is an example of how oil on canvas is an effective medium in not only animating the subject, but allowing the painting to have a luminous quality.
Works Cited
Bellini, Giovanni. Portrait of Joerg Fugger. 1474. Oil on Canvas. Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA.
“Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516).” Giovanni Bellini: Italian Renaissance Painter, Founder of Venetian School. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2016. <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/old-masters/giovanni-bellini.htm>.
Norton Simon Museum. Portrait of Joerg Fugger. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2016. <https://www.nortonsimon.org/collections/browse_title.php?id=M.1969.13.P>.
