Lecture Notes: Visual Analysis of Giovanni Bellini's 'Madonna of the Meadow'

Introduction

• Location: National Gallery, London
• Artist: Giovanni Bellini
• Painting: The Madonna of the Meadow
• Focus: Visual analysis tools (not iconography, symbolism, patronage, or context)

Visual Analysis Tools

1. Scale

• Painting Size: Moderately sized, affects viewing distance
• Figures: Female figure smaller than life size, fills a third of the frame

2. Composition

• Structure: Forms a pyramid with the drapery
• Intimacy: Child contained within the pyramid shape
• Foreground and Background: Pyramidal foreground with horizontal bands (greenery, pebbles, farmland, clouds)
• Framing: Vertical elements (trees, architecture) provide framing

3. Pictorial Space

• Illusion: Creates 3D form and space on a flat surface
• Techniques: Atmospheric and linear perspective
  • Atmospheric: Deep blue sky becomes paler towards the horizon
  • Linear: Diagonal lines (orthogonals) suggest depth

4. Form

• Types: Natural (trees, grass), Figurative (Madonna and Child), Built (architecture)
• Shapes: Rounded (figures, clouds), Rectilinear (architecture)
• Solidity and Delicacy: Contrasts between solid figures and delicate leaves

5. Line

• Contour Lines: Used to separate forms (e.g., Virgin Mary's drapery from grass)
• Line Isolated: Branches of trees, edges of architectural forms

6. Color

• Main Groups: Blue (mantle, sky, mountains), Red (undergarment), Yellow (flesh, fields, architecture)
• Connections: White connects Mary to the heavens

7. Light

• Source: Sun to the left, slightly forward from figures
• Illumination: Consistent light and shadow (e.g., Virgin Mary's cheek)

8. Tone

• Definition: Lightness and darkness in a color
• Subtlety: Seen in Virgin Mary's face and flesh tones

9. Texture

• Contrast: Smooth textures (flesh, cloth) vs. rough surfaces (middle ground)
• Leafiness: Feathery texture of leaves on trees

10. Pattern

• Expectation: Unusual in natural forms, but present
• Occurrences: Embroidery on Mary's robe, organic foliage patterns
• Effect: Conflicts with pictorial space, reminds of two-dimensionality

Conclusion

• Summary: Scale, composition, pictorial space, form, line, color, light, tone, texture, and pattern are tools for analyzing art.
• Note: These are just a few methods used by art historians.