Synopsis
Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini are among the most important artists of the Early Renaissance. Their work was closely interlinked and yet they remained rivals throughout their lives. Who were these men?Both born in Italy in the 15th century, Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini became the most important artists of the Early Renaissance, although they could not have been more different. The two painters, who were brothers-in-law, influenced each other’s work for many years, but throughout their lives they remained rivals. To this day, much about their work and biographies is unexplained. Dr. Neville Rowley, curator of the exhibition „Mantegna and Bellini” at The National Gallery in London takes a closer look at the exceptional painters. In a fictional inner monologue, the two men reflect upon their lives: their paintings, their relationship to each other, their family ties, their students and the difficulties they had with their aristocratic and clerical patrons. Do the artists‘ paintings contain any hidden references to their attempts to undermine the values of the church and aristocracy? Atmospheric re-enactments are shot in Venice, Florence, Rome, Padua and Mantua and their colour and lighting adapted to the Early Renaissance.