WHY BUY IT

• Magnificent, true-to-life colours
• Adds elegance to any room
• Perfect as a prestigious gift

FEATURES

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges

Print on handmade Amalfi paper with frame
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges, handmade beech wood frame

Print on painter's canvas
Size: 80 x 60 cm (31.5 x 23.6 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine-grain painter's canvas
Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade

The artwork

The Alzano Madonna by Giovanni Bellini, also known as the Madonna of the Pear or the Morelli Madonna (after its last owner), was painted around 1485-1490 and depicts the Madonna and Child in an atmosphere of intense spirituality. The Madonna turns a meditative gaze on the Child, alluding to the sacrifice to come, yet without the usual tragic tone. On the contrary, the rural landscape behind the two figures conveys serenity; it is dotted with villages and other figures can be seen, and it may be the work of another painter. Bellini, a master of the Venetian Renaissance, shows remarkable skill in the use of light and colour, giving the figures extraordinary softness and realism.

In the foreground, a pear symbolises, through its sweetness, the love between mother and son, but also recalls the apple of Eden, foreshadowing the redemption that the Madonna and Jesus will bring about. The pear adds a symbolic and theological dimension to the painting.

The Alzano Madonna is currently held at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, where it continues to be admired for its beauty and emotional depth.