Style Imitating Art: Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist!

Style Imitating Art…

Welcome to Style Imitating Art which comes from Salazar, Shelbee, and me. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. I was this week’s curator with this Madonna and colorful cherubim! I hope you enjoy this post, the information, and my interpretation.

How it works…

Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. I chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why I chose it here. Please send your photo to me by Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 by 10 pm EST. Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.

The artist…

Giovanni Bellini is probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters.  He was born circa 1430 in Venice, Republic of Venice (now Veneto, Italy) and died on November 29, 1516.  Marin Sanudo, a Venetian historian, recorded the date in one of his famous diaries.  Bellini is interred in the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, a traditional burial place of the doges.   The Bellini cocktail is named in his honor, but I’m not exactly sure why.  It may be because of the colors in the cocktail and Bellini’s use of color. 

A little more…

Giovanni Bellini was long considered the son of Jacopo Bellini, but that thought is refuted by art historian, Daniel Wallace Maze.  He believes Jacopo was Giovanni’s much older half-brother and that Gentile Bellini was his nephew and not his brother.  However, every site I checked listed Jacopo as his brother and Gentile as his brother.  At this point in history, it’s probably a moot point.  What is important is that the Bellini dynasty was one of the most important of the 15^th century. 

Tempera…

In his first years, Giovanni (as opposed to his father and brother, Jacopo and Gentile, respectively) painted with tempera.  The use of egg tempera can be traced back to the first century AD.  It basically consisted of pigments mixed with some kind of water-soluble binding medium.  Many times, this was egg yolk.  Eggs would be pierced and hung over some kind of receptacle.  After the white had drained out, the remaining egg yolk would then be diluted with water, vinegar, or even wine.  This is then mixed with ground or powdered pigment.  The exact amounts of pigment and binder varied according to the kind of pigment. The advantages of egg tempera are that it is permanent and fast drying.  This was also a problem as it was fast drying!

An important family…

The Bellini family was one of the most influential on the Venetian art scene.  Another important family in Venice at the time was the Vivarini family.  From what I read, Giovanni was never formally educated but learned from his father as well as his brother-in-law, Andrea Mantegna.  His early works were styled after the late Gothic style of his father as well as the Paduan School.  This was a Renaissance-era painting school in Padua, Italy.  Founded by Francesco Squarcione, the school had a “severe, intellectually rigorous, and classically inspired approach to art (source).” Giovanni’s early works reflected the more rigid lines of the Paduan School as well as being less colorful.  From what I could figure out, Giovanni just couldn’t contain himself and imbued his paintings with more depth of emotions than other artists of the time.  He began to experiment with form and draping in his paintings. 

Early success…

After the deaths of his father and brother, Giovanni was the artist in Venice.  He had more commissions than he had time.  He often took on commissions he couldn’t complete on time.  His first commission was to work with his brother and other artists to paint in the Scuola di San Marco.  One of the paintings he produced during this time was Deluge with Noah’s Ark.  In 1475, Giovanni met Antonello de Messina.  It appears it was during this time Giovanni discovered oil paints.  He produced several paintings, probably masterpieces.  Unfortunately, these were destroyed a fire in 1577.  The last twenty years of the 15^th century saw Giovanni working as a conservator of the paintings in the great hall of the Doge’s Palace.  His duties included repairing and renewing the works of his predecessors.  During his time as a conservator, he received a fixed annual pension.  “He was also commissioned to paint a number of new subjects, six or seven in all, in further illustration of the part played by Venice in the wars of Frederick Barbarossa and the pope.  These works, executed with much interruption and delay, were the object of universal admiration while they lasted, but not a trace of them survived the fire of 1577… (source.)”  Another fire, in 1867, further destroyed his famous altarpiece, painted in tempera for a chapel in the church of S. Giovanni e Paolo.  Other works destroyed in that fire were Titian’s Peter Martyr and Tintoretto’s Crucifixion.

Oil paint…

When Giovanni discovered oil paint, the world gained an artist who became an expert at using colors, combining them in different ways as well as the level of saturation.  This led to a gradation of tones not seen before.  He was able to replace the severity of his early Paduan influences with a softer, more graceful and serene style.  His various paintings of the Madonna/Virgin and Child are “tranquil and commanding in their sweetness; the personages of the attendant saints gain in power, presence and individuality; enchanting groups of singing and viol-playing angels symbolise and complete the harmony of the scene. The full splendour of Venetian colour invests alike the figures, their architectural framework, the landscape and the sky (source).”

High Renaissance…

Giovanni was the penultimate artist of the High Renaissance.  Now, I’m going to admit I don’t entirely understand this term.  What I gather is that it is the time, during the Renaissance, when experts believe art had reached the pinnacle of expression.  It was a time of artistic excellence as well as an emphasis on balanced composition, perspective, chiaroscuro, and idealized figures rather than the more realistic ones of the early Renaissance.  Of course, other artists were included in the High Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.  Most consider Giovanni’s greatest contribution to the Italian Renaissance was his experimentation with color and atmosphere.

Giovanni’s legacy…

Giovanni’s use of soft colors and understanding of the way light worked in paintings led to works like San Zaccaria.  He also began painting landscapes suffused with the soft lighting and fabulous colors.  Giovanni headed a workshop.  Titian, one of his pupils, would eventually challenge him as sole master of the paintings in the Hall of the Great Council.  Strangely enough, Titian’s application was granted, taken back after a year, granted again in another year.  In 1514, Giovanni began The Feast of the Gods for the duke, Alfsonso I of Ferrara.  I think one of the saddest things about Giovanni Bellini is the proportion of surviving works vs what he actually produced.  So many were destroyed in fires over the years.  Luckily, many do survive.

The artwork…

The painting is egg tempura on a poplar panel. It measures 30 x 23 in. (76 x 58.4 cm) and is approximately 45-1/4 x 34-1/2 x 4-1/2 in. (114.9 x 87.6 x 11.4 cm) framed. It’s important to note the artist is listed as Bellini, but the tombstone (the plaque with all the information) also lists the workshop of Giovanni Bellini. This was not unusual at the time, and I’m guessing it’s still de rigueur for artists today. Bellini would have had a workshop with younger artists who worked with him. So, they may have painted inconsequential bits of this art, or they may have painted most of it with Bellini adding little touches here and there. There is also the possibility Bellini never touched it with his paintbrush! The thing that stands out the most about this painting are those pastel cherubim! I mean, really, what was going on in that workshop? I did try to find out if there was any meaning behind them. There is another Bellini painting with red cherubim. One explanation for them is they are balancing out the painting as Mary’s dress is a deep red. That argument could be used here for the red and purple cherubim, but what about the others? I’m flummoxed!  This painting is owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art and was a gift of the Clowes family.  It hangs in the Clowes Pavilion.

My interpretation…

I honestly had no idea what I was going to do with this challenge even as I selected the art! Then, I remembered I’d recently gotten this pink and blue crepe Pixie skirt from Kantha Bae. The colors were perfect. It’s a bear to iron, let me tell you. There are two layers with alternating lengths. And, that silk just slides all over the ironing board. One of the problems with this skirt (well, I’m the problem, but I’ll explain) is that the waistband is soooo long! It’s made from kantha cloth so it could take the elastic smocking at the top. Well, that means it literally comes right up under my boobs! I added one of my favorite sleeveless tees from Old Navy and had the bones of the outfit. Then, I had to figure out what to wear as a completer piece. I tried a white cardigan…nope. Then, I tried my trusty white denim jacket…big old nope! I realized I needed something light, not only in weight but in appearance. I pulled out my trusty white lace blouse from April Cornell. I have been considering getting rid of it, but it comes in handy when I need an extremely lightweight third piece. And, there you have the way this interpretation came together.

The Lewk!

Continuing the pastel theme, I pulled out my Annemarie sandals from L’Artiste. Some of you may remember Jack decided to snack on one a few years ago. That meant I I had to buy a new pair, and I sized up. I really shouldn’t have because these are a titch too big. Luckily, I can adjust them with the straps. When I was looking at my necklaces, I happened to see this one hiding behind another. It’s the perfect necklace for this painting, don’t you think? I think it’s from Allie + Bess. The gold circle at the bottom opens so you can add other charms to it. I really need to do that. The earrings? Hmmm…I think they’re Stella & Dot.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

This is not my favorite outfit for SIA. I love the skirt and think it’s perfect. I need to work at figuring out a different top. The colors are so specific so I might try something completely counterintuitive. But, then will that pull all the attention away from the gorgeous print? So, can we talk?  What would you wear with this skirt? What interpretation would you give those colored cherubim? Have you heard the term, High Renaissance before? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.

Don’t forget…

If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send me your photo by 10:00 pm EST, Tuesday, August 26th. Photos of everyone participating will appear on my blog on Wednesday, August 27th! If you’re interested in joining us, consider all of your options…the colors, the textures, the feelings they evoke, those funny little cherubim! Come on, give it a try! I think you’ll love it!

Thank you!

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

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