Imago Pietatis

Jesus rises from the sepulchre, his body displaying the pallor of death. The perspective of the sarcophagus invite the eye of the observer to explore the painting, across the footbridge on watercourse, beyond the forest, to the lake reflecting a rosy light. At either side two tall cliffs frame the scene. On the cliff tops stand out a dry tree, on the right, and leafy plants on the left, probably alluding to the sin and to the Redemption. An atmosphere of desolate solitude permeates this moving painting. The work, datable to the 1460s, is one of the masterpieces of Giovanni Bellini’s early manner.