Mantegna and Bellini: First Joint Exhibition at London's National Gallery

The National Gallery in London has opened a groundbreaking exhibition exploring the artistic and familial relationship between Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini, two pivotal figures of the Italian Renaissance. Curated by Caroline Campbell, the show is the first to focus on their creative dialogue, running until January 27, 2019. The exhibition is organized chronologically and thematically, covering their early careers in Padua and Venice, their parallel work in the 1450s, and later thematic sections after Mantegna's move to Mantua in 1460. Highlights include their treatments of the Pietà, landscapes, devotional works, portraits, and responses to antiquity. The display concludes with Mantegna's last commission for the Corner family in Venice, completed by Bellini. Loans come from major collections in Italy, France, Germany, the UK, and the Americas. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Gemäldegalerie Berlin and the British Museum, and involved a partnership with the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice, which hosted a complementary show. Director Gabriele Finaldi emphasized the artists' distinct visions: Mantegna sought ideal beauty through antiquity, while Bellini imitated nature. Their influence extended to Dürer, Titian, Raphael, and others. Finaldi also reflected on his three-year tenure, noting acquisitions of works by Bellotto, Artemisia Gentileschi, and others, and a commitment to free admission and audience engagement.