Restored in 1994 with funding from Lily Auchincloss; additional maintenance undertaken in 2002 and in 2008 with Save Venice general funds.

This polyptych was commissioned by the Confraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer, one of the many scuole piccole of Venice. It was first assigned to Giovanni Bellini in 1581 by Francesco Sansovino, an attribution that is now widely if not universally accepted. The altarpiece represents a major step in Bellini’s development, as his previous paintings had been smaller in scale and his figures less individualized; here, the figures are instead characterized by a new sense of monumentality that Bellini would continue to develop in his later altarpieces.

The polyptych consists of nine panel paintings in tempera that are arranged in three registers within a carved and gilded frame. The central panel bears one of the earliest representations of Saint Vincent Ferrer, a Dominican saint who had recently been canonized in 1455. He is depicted with a flame in his hand, which symbolizes his fiery preaching, miraculous healing abilities, and ardent love for God. He is flanked by Saint Christopher, associated with protection for travelers, and Saint Sebastian, whom the Venetians venerated in the hope that they would spared from the plague. In the upper register, the central panel features the Dead Christ with Angels, which is in turn flanked by the two interlocutors of the Annunciation: the Archangel Gabriel on the left and the Virgin Mary on the right.

The entire ensemble was originally topped with a lunette depicting God the Father, which was removed when the altar underwent modifications during the eighteenth century and was subsequently lost. The predella, located on the lower register of the polyptych, consists of three panels that depict narrative scenes: in the central panel we see Vincent preaching, while those to either side portray four of the miracles that he performed. Though likely designed by Bellini, it is apparent that the predella panels were not executed by him; although some scholars have attributed them to Lauro Padovano, their author has yet to be determined with any certainty.

The altarpiece was restored by conservators Walter and Valentina Piovan, with the guidance of project director Sandro Sponza of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430–1516)
Polyptych of Saint Vincent Ferrer
c. 1464, tempera on wood panel
275 x 194 cm

Bätschmann, Oskar. Giovanni Bellini. London: Reaktion, 2008.

Goffen, Rona. Giovanni Bellini. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.