Holy Allegory
Giovanni Bellini Β· 1490
Why it's great
Mary sits on a platform in a garden while saints stand around her, and a lake with distant hills shines beyond. Giovanni Bellini painted this puzzling picture in about 1490, and no one is sure exactly what the story is.
Where to see it
π Uffizi GalleryFlorence, Italy
Open in Maps β About this museum βHang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Giovanni Bellini was a Venetian painter, born in Venice around 1430 into a family of painters. He was the teacher of Giorgione and Titian and led Venetian painting into the High Renaissance with his glowing colors and quiet, thoughtful Madonnas. He worked in Venice all his life and died there in 1516.
