Accademia di Belle Arti

Begun by Giovanni Battista Piazetta in 1750 to provide models for his Bella Arti, this large gallery now encompasses three adjoining buildings. The art housed is a fine cross-section of Italian art from the Byzantine, Renaissance, Baroque, and Roco periods. Located along the Grand Canal in the southernmost quarter of Venice, Dorsoduro, the Accademia's galleries are a must-see on a trip to Venice.

Some of the Highlights of the Accademia Galleries:

This altarpiece was created by Giovanni Bellini for the Church of San Giobbe. Flanking the Virgin Mary are St. Roch and St. Sebastian, suggesting that the painting was created in the aftermath of the plague.  The angel musicians at Mary's feet pay homage to San Giobbe, the patron saint of music.

Giorgione created this 1506 portrait of a woman nursing her child. The overall impression of The Tempest is of the figures and the dreamlike, stormy landscape blended into a whole.

This wall-size canvas, painted by Veronese in 1573, was a lightning rod for controversy. Originally commissioned by church authorities as a "Last Supper" portrait, they were angered by the secular and comic twist provided by the artist through the inclusion of "dogs, buffoons, drunken Germans, dwarfs and other such absurdities." Pragmatically, Veronese changed the title to Supper in the House of Levi, and the painting survived.

Although this 1576 painting of Christ in Mary's Arms is unfinished, the Pieta is nevertheless considered by many as Titian's finest work. His final painting is imbued with golden light and a piercing sense of anguish.













Part of Carpaccio's narrative cycle that fills Room 21 of the gallery, Meeting and Departure of the Betrothed Ursula and Ereo focuses upon the wedding of a Breton princess and an English prince.

Another in a cycle of paintings, this time by Gentile Bellini, Procession in St. Mark's Square captures the religious celebration in the Piazza San Marcos in 1440. The remainder of the scenes from this cycle occupy the remaining walls in Room 20.












Painted between 1496 and 1498, La Madonna dell'Arancio was painted by Cima da Conegliano for a Franciscan Church on the nearby island of Murano. The painting features the nature themes so dear to St. Francis of Assisi. Along with Mary, the friar and the beggar can be found surrounded by wildlife of all sorts--a rabbit, deer, burro, and partridge--as well as the orange tree from which the painting derives its name.











Painted by Venice's leading 14th century artist, Paolo Veneziano, the Coronation of the Virgin is a fine example of the Byzantine style that influence Venetian art. Flanking the work are similar efforts, drawn from the life of Christ.

This solemn portrait of an affluent gentleman in his study is possibly a self-portrait of the painter, Lorenzo Lotto. Portrait of a Gentleman is a good example of Lotto's theme of portraying psychological insights through his work













Rosalba Carriera was a very popular 18th century artist, favored in affluent circles for her pastels. Always portraying her subjects in a romantic light through her use of pastel colors, Portrait of an Elderly Woman, one of several Carriera paintings on display, shows a striking resemblance to the nearby self-portrait in the rendering of the eyes, nose, and facial expression. Also featured is a portrait of a child, with similar physical features and ethereal aura.