St. Francis in Ecstasy Painting by G. Bellini

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Main body
Conclusion

Introduction

Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516), an Italian Renaissance painter, comes from the family of Venetian painters. He was born in Venice and brought up in his father’s house. He’s spent his whole life in Venice where he created such masterpieces as Transfiguration of Christ (1487), The Feast of the Gods (1514), Le Christ Bénissant (1465-1470), and others. One of his most famous paintings is St. Francis in Ecstasy which was finished around 1480. It portrays St. Francis of Assisi at the moment of his receiving the stigmata. The painting has several symbols; for instance, the donkey on the left symbolizes humility, patience, as well as obstinacy, and laziness.

The scull which can be noticed on the right symbolizes death. St. Francis in Ecstasy is one of the brightest examples of Early Renaissance and, without any doubt, one of the best of Bellini’s creations. This work of Bellini can be referred to as humanism due to its moving away from a religious view of the world; it gives the viewers opportunities for psychological and emotional catharsis and can be named a perfect imitation according to Aristotle’s theory of dramatic art.

Main body

To begin with, St. Francis in Ecstasy can serve as a perfect example of humanism in art, because it mixtures religious convictions emphasizing the mightiness of nature at the same time. It should be mentioned here that if humanism is present in Renaissance art, this does not mean that religion is completely absent from it. Human beings are simply seen as the agents of their destiny and the attention starts to be concentrated on nature. St. Francis in Ecstasy is proof that Early Renaissance works achieved a magnificent balance between religion and humanism.

In this painting, the saint is receiving the stigmata; at this, he is surrounded by the unbelievably impressive landscape, which, though it is not picturesque, strikes with its vastness and calmness. This indeed can be called a perfect correlation between a human, nature, and God. Thus, Bellini’s work is like nobody else’s impressive in terms of uniting religion, nature, and humanism, which seems to be impossible to do at first glance.

Secondly, the power of St. Francis in Ecstasy lies in its ability to give the viewers emotional and psychological catharsis. It belongs to those art objects which arouse specific emotions because the first look at it does not leave the viewer in thoughts, like most other paintings which require analysis and deeper understanding. The essence of this painting lies on the surface. Looking at it gives emotional and psychological purification.

Those viewers who have some background about the subject of the painting are likely to feel the emotional climax more acutely; however, those who do not know much about St. Francis will still be captured by the sacredness of the moment, the beauty of the landscape, and amazing calmness and resolution of St. Francis’ face. The fact that the painting does not have any bright colors proves that it is namely the subject (and, of course, the genius of the artist) that can cause such emotions in the viewer. Therefore, St. Francis in Ecstasy evokes purging of emotions in viewers, which means that it presents them with catharsis.

Lastly, the greatness of the painting under consideration cannot be denied even by Aristotle’s theory of dramatic art. Aristotle saw art as imitation in the first place; basing on this idea, he worked out three methods for classifying art. According to the first method, the basis of imitation is constituted by language, rhythm, and harmony, from which the latter is the most applicable to art. Since perspective appeared in the period of the Early Renaissance, the artists were already able to give their paintings a natural look. Bellini’s painting can be characterized by the perfect balance (or harmony) between the elements, which means that the artist has successfully used the perspective.

The balance can be seen in the examination of the object, another method of Aristotle’s. The philosopher believed that the objects represented in the art should be above, beneath, or at the same level of goodness as ordinary people. Bellini’s achieving balance between nature and religion shows that his imitation was perfect. Finally, according to the manner of the object’s representation (the third method), the object (in this case, St. Francis) remains the same throughout, due to the sacredness of the moment he experiences. Thus, the painting in question can be named a perfect imitation and a great work of art.

Conclusion

In conclusion, St. Francis in Ecstasy by Giovanni Bellini is a unique painting that can serve as a perfect example of Early Renaissance art. This painting successfully unites religion, nature, and humanism portraying a saint in the background of the mighty nature. It also helps the viewers to experience emotional and psychological catharsis owing to the sacredness of the moment depicted in it. Finally, it is one of the best examples of imitation, according to Aristotle’s theory of dramatic arts. Bellini reached harmony in all the elements of the painting making it impressive and unforgettable.

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St. Francis in Ecstasy Painting by G. Bellini

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