Raphael and Bellini - Madonna and Child

             In this essay, I am going to discuss Raphael and Bellini's approaches to the theme of Madonna and child. Both Bellini and Raphael painted many versions of the Madonna and child; both viewed this theme as a religious one. We can see that both portrayed the Madonna and child differently. Raphael painted the Madonna and child's relationship as a warm and loving one. Bellini portrayed the relationship as a distant one. Jesus Christ looks very deathlike and the mother lacks emotion in his paintings. We notice these artists' use of color differs as well as their choice of backgrounds in which Madonna and child are placed. We can see these differences when we look at Raphael's "The small cowper Madonna" and "Madonna del Granduca" along with Bellini's "Greek Madonna" and "Madonna of the Meadow"
             In general, the subject Madonna and child is very emotional. Both Raphael and Bellini portray this theme to show different emotions. In Raphael's paintings, The small cowper Madonna and Madonna del Granduca, he shows a feeling of love between the mother and child. In the painting, we can see that the mother and child share a love for one another. In both paintings both the virgin and child seem calm and tranquil. The virgin is looking at her child, almost smiling with a very content expression. The child is comfortable with his mother and looks quite happy and content also. The virgin holds him close to her body and the child grasps onto his mother also which portrays a comfortable feeling of closeness.
             Bellini,s paintings on the other hand are very contrasting in comparisons to Raphael's. In Bellini's "Madonna of the Meadows" and " Greek Madonna" shows the virgin as very uninterested. In " Madonna of the Meadows" the virgin is praying. Her facial expressions suggest discontent and unease. She does not focus on her child but instead her hands. In his "Greek Madonna" the virgin and child seem to be quite distant from one another. She is looking in ...

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Raphael and Bellini - Madonna and Child. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:11, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/18965.html