1460_San_Zeno_Alterpiece_Mantegna.txt

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Andrea Mantegna 1431 – 1506
San Zeno Altarpiece

oil on panel (480 × 450 cm) — 1456-1460
San Zeno, Verona

The three upper panels together form one space. The fruit chains seem real, but are in fact painted - a technique known as trompe-l'oeil. They emphasize the perspective.

In the middle, we see Mary with child seated on a throne, surrounded by angels making music. To the extreme left Peter, Paul, John the Evangelist and St Zeno. Extreme right: John the Baptist and three saints.

The paintings in the predella are all copies of the original, now on display in the Louvre and in Tours. Left to right: The prayer at the Mount of Olives, The Crucifixion, and The Resurrection.

Andrea Mantegna biography

Andrea Mantegna

1431 - 1506

Italian painter and engraver, born in the vicinity of Padua. Brother-in-law of Giovanni Bellini.

Mantegna is influenced by Donatello's work from early on. Characteristic of Mantegna's work are the bright colors, the strong linear perspective and the sharp lines. The subject matter is mostly classical or religious.

The altarpiece for the San Zeno in Verona is one of his most famous works, just as the murals in the Camera degli Sposi (bride's room) in the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua (1468–1474). His work's composition and structure have inspired many artists.