The Circumcision
The Met
Artist: Giovanni Bellini(Italian, Venice, active by 1459–died 1516 Venice)
Date: 1511
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: 26 3/4 x 40 1/2 in. (67.9 x 102.9 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
Six figures, including a baby, are gathered in a horizontal composition before a landscape background
Detailed Description
The black and white painting depicts six figures arranged horizontally across the canvas, with a landscape visible in the background. In the center, a nude baby stands on a draped, rectangular surface, looking slightly upwards and to the left. The baby's skin is light-toned, and its body is plump, with small hands clenched into fists. To the left of the baby, two men are positioned. The man closest to the baby has a short, light-toned beard and is leaning in, with his hands appearing to support the baby. To his left, a man with a long, dark beard and a patterned head covering also leans in, looking down towards the baby. Further to the left, a man with short, curly hair looks down, his gaze directed towards the lower center of the painting. He wears a draped garment. To the right of the baby, two women are depicted. The woman closest to the baby wears a light-toned head covering and a dark robe, looking down. Her hands are not clearly visible. To her right, another woman, similarly dressed in a head covering and dark robe, also looks down, her face partially obscured by her veil. The foreground features a dark, rectangular structure covered with a light-toned cloth, upon which the baby stands. The background behind the figures shows a light sky with scattered trees and distant, rolling hills, particularly visible on the right side of the composition. The overall scene is rendered with soft contrasts and detailed drapery.
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