User:Jessbl/Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan

The Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan (Italian: Ritratto del doge Leonardo Loredan) is a painting by Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini, dating from c. 1501–02. It portrays Leonardo Loredan, the Doge of Venice from 1501 to 1521, in his ceremonial garments with the corno ducale worn over a linen cap. It is signed IOANNES BELLINVS on a cartellino("small paper") and is 61.4 × 44.5 cm in size. It is currently on display in the National Gallery in London. '''Giovanni Bellini was one of the most affluential Venetian artists of the time, and this portrait displays the influence and uniqueness of his work. '''

Description
This formal portrait depicts Leonardo Loredan in his official state robes as the Doge of Venice, the ruler of the Venetian Republic. He is posed looking away from the viewer, which portrays him as above others. He seems to be gazing intensely to the left side of the portrait, portraying his intelligence. Though his eyes seem to indicate sternness, his mouth seems to be on the verge of forming a slight one-sided smile. This is portrayed by the deeper crease in the right side of his lips, and through the use of light to further highlight one side of the face while darkening the other. These multiple expressions seem to portray that the Doge has many potential moods and the capacity for both judgement and honesty. Bellini followed a more contemporary format for this painting compared to previously stricter profiles of Doges. This style of portraiture was brought about and made popular in the 1470s.

The Doge is shown in ornate white robes that are embroidered with brownish gold designs. Along the middle of the robes there are ornamental buttons otherwise known campanoni d'ori or golden bells. The subject contrasts with the blue background, which is made from ultramarine mixed with white. At the time, ultramarine was one of the most expensive pigments available. The distinctively shaped hat is derived from the hood of a doublet. It is called the corno ducale and it is elegantly placed and shaped around the head, while the top portion, or mantle, sweeps upwards. The mantle is made from white silk damask fabric and is embroidered and woven with gold to create the intricate designs.

As with other traditional portraits of the Doge, the composition resembles a Roman sculpted portrait bust. The painting is signed IOANNES BELLINVS – the Latin form of Giovanni Bellini – on a cartellino attached to a parapet at the base of the composition.

Composition
The painting medium is oil on poplar and its dimensions are 61.4 x 44.5 cm. The medium is slow drying, which enables Bellini to better blend the colors together which eliminated harshness and allowed for more of a natural appearance in the art. The ultramarine used for the blue background was one of the most expensive pigments at the time, and was mixed with white to create the bright background. Thick brush strokes were used to catch the light and create a silkier appearance to the clothing within the painting.

Influence
'''Traditionally, Doge portraits followed previous ideas of ruling class portraiture and displayed subjects in a strict profile view. Instead, Bellini exercised the three-quarter view, redefining the constraints of portraiture during this time in Venice. This new viewpoint opened up the potential for realism, which Bellini clearly displays in this portrait. The Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan is a clear display of Bellini’s new idea in the usage of color, in which Bellini defined figures through rich and bold colors'''.

Portrait History
The painting would initially have been in Venice and was probably looted when Napoleon conquered the city. It was bought in 1807 for thirteen guineas by William Thomas Beckford, who in 1844 sold it to the National Gallery for £630 (equivalent to £67,032 in 2021).

Subject History
'''The Doge is an elected, life-long position chosen by the Venetian aristocracy. The position is equivalent to that of a Duke, and served as the Venetian Republic’s Head of State. The subject of this painting, Doge Leonardo Loredan, was elected in 1501 and served the Republic until his death in 1521. This places the completion of this painting during the same year as his inauguration. Doge Leonardo Loredan was one of the most depicted Venetian rulers, and is easily identifiable due to his imagery on local coinage. '''

'''Leonardo Loredan arose from the Loredan family, who had historically been a part of the Venetian ruling power struggle. This power struggle defined Venetian nobility, allowing those who had a noble parent to rise to the upper classes. Living from 1436-1516, Doge Leonardo Loredan, being a part of this history, provided the political context in which Bellini created this portrait. '''

'''As Doge, Leonardo Loredan protected the traditions and relics of Venetian culture. In accordance with Venetian culture, the Doge maintained Venice’s ties with St. Mark and the Catholic church. The trust placed in him arose from a contract that he signed outlining these defined protections. As a ruler, he was involved in many building projects, many of which connected Venice to the rest of Italy through bridges and wharves. During his reign there was an ongoing war, the War of the League of Cambri, in which Venice lost land to France. This loss created turmoil within the city, and many Venetians were therefore not inclined to fight for the Republic. The Doge and his council were often blamed for this conflict, even though they attempted to remain partially separated from the war. Doge Leonardo Loredan’s reign outlines a time of conflict within Venice where the he had to balance both the unique historical context of the city and bring the city into a new era of commerce. '''

Artist History
John Pope-Hennessy described Bellini as "by far the greatest fifteenth-century official portraitist", adding that "the tendency towards ideality that impairs his private portraits here stood him in good stead, and enabled him to codify, with unwavering conviction, the official personality". '''Giovanni Bellini was born in Venice, Italy in 1430 and lived until 1516. He came from a family of painters; his father Jacopo, a famous Renaissance artist, and his brother Gentile, who became one of the leading painters in the 15th century. Studying under his father, his early works had influences of late Gothic grace and were also influenced by the more severe methods of the Paduan school, in which Bellini studied. His early works were done with tempera, and he often painted natural light. This is evident in his paintings of landscapes and of the sky, in which Bellini works with light and shadow. '''

'''His early works were more traditional religious material, but as his career became more affluent he expanded to landscape work. From this he became one of the greatest landscape painters of the time. Bellini had an extremely influential and prosperous career in which he began his own school of painting .'''