Mantegna and Bellini - Exhibitions in Focus

In about 1453 the Paduan painter Andrea Mantegna married one Nicolosia Bellini from Venice, thus gaining as a brother-in-law Giovanni Bellini, also a painter. Subsequently they became two of the most renowned and influential Italian artists of their day, and their achievements are to be celebrated in Mantegna and Bellini at the National Gallery (1st October 2018 to 27th Janury 2019).

Despite the familial connection and their similar ages, Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini only worked in close proximity briefly before Mantegna moved to Mantua to take up the post of court painter to the Gonzaga family. However, it is clear that their respective styles and practices were deeply influenced by each other, and their creative exchange continued as long as they both lived.

The scholarly interest in antiquity and humanism that suffuses Mantegna’s art had a profound impact on Bellini’s early style, and Bellini’s atmospheric landscapes and chromaticism in turn inspired Mantegna.

On the occasion of this major exhibition, MRT is holding a study day with lectures by three outstanding experts followed by lunch and a visit to the exhibition. Two of the speakers are the exhibition’s curators, Caroline Campbell, The Jacob Rothschild head of the curatorial department at the National Gallery, and Sarah Vowles, curator of Italian prints and drawings at the British Museum. The third is National Gallery conservator Jill Dunkerton, who has spent much of the last three years restoring Bellini’s Assassination of St Peter the Martyr, which will be a highlight of the exhibition.

The talks take place in the Society of Antiquaries at Burlington House in Piccadilly. Lunch follows in a nearby restaurant, and then participants walk in their own time to the National Gallery.

Admission to the exhibition is by pre-booked timed ticket. Audio guides are included, but the speakers will be on hand in the exhibition to respond to questions.