The artwork, titled “Pieta with the Virgin and St. John the Evangelist,” was created by Giovanni Bellini around the year 1455. It is an oil painting on canvas that exemplifies the Early Renaissance art movement. This religious painting is currently located at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy.
In the artwork, three figures are depicted: the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, and St. John the Evangelist. Jesus is portrayed in the center, lifeless and supported by the Virgin Mary on his right and St. John the Evangelist on his left. The Virgin Mary is garbed in a red mantle with a white headdress, her expression one of deep sorrow and mourning. St. John, also enveloped in grief, gently supports Christ with a tender and compassionate demeanor. The composition is intimate and poignant, effectively conveying the profound emotional turmoil and pious reverence associated with the scene. The use of warm, subdued colors enhances the solemn atmosphere, a hallmark of Bellini’s sensitive and masterful handling of religious themes.
