How Is Giovanni Used To Paint The Portrait Of The Doge

As Giovanni’s painting career progressed, his style and skills progressed as well. In 1501, Giovanni was asked to paint the portrait of the doge Leonardo Loredan. A doge was the chief magistrate of Venice, who would be elected by the aristocracy and would rule for life. Doges were always highly respected by the city, and it was Venetian tradition for the doges to have a painted portrait. Leonardo Loredan asked Giovanni to paint his portrait after Giovanni had done other paintings in the Doge’s Palace. Many of these paintings were elaborate portraits. Clearly, Leonardo Loredan liked the work Giovanni was producing. It would be an honor for a painter to be asked to paint the doge’s portrait, in addition to the commission that the painter would …show more content…
At this point, he graduated to painting with oil rather than tempera. Giovanni was one of the first painters to use oil and truly take advantage of its properties. For this painting, he used the impasto technique, which is layering paint heavily on the canvas so the brushstrokes are visible. This technique causes the painting to look more realistic by allowing the light to reflect and disperse the way it would in real life. When looking at this painting, one sees simply the upper half of a man with a blue background. It is evident that he is a man of power because of his attire, his perfect posture, and his stern face. The robe he wears has a beautiful and elegant pattern and gives off a glimmer in the light. The buttons down his robe are giant and brown. The horn-shaped hat would only be worn by a doge, so this is a key factor in acknowledging his power. When looking at his stature, he is sitting upright in a way that makes him look confident and courageous. Focusing on his face, he seems calm and intelligent. His lips curve slightly upwards, perhaps representing his happiness about being the doge. His wrinkles suggest his slightly older age. The background of this painting is blue, with a slight gradient from dark to light from top to …show more content…
Venice constantly had boats from all over Europe at its ports, so this city was exposed to many cultures and ideas. Giovanni’s use of oil for his entire painting was a technique he learned from northern Europeans. He also noticed their attention to light and details when painting facial expressions and clothing. From Tuscany, Giovanni learned about creating spatial illusions. These spatial illusions could then create a three-dimensional feel of the painting. Most people of the past and present were very pleased with Giovanni Bellini’s painting Doge Leonardo Loredan, and I share this opinion. The colors of the robe are both earthy and metallic at the same time, creating a beautiful overall look to the garment. I find the buttons very interesting looking because I have never seen buttons so large. I really like how Giovanni painted his facial expression. Rather than looking determined and power hungry like a typical ruler, he looks more wise and kind. The peachiness of his skin gives him a sense of