Polyptych of San Vincenzo Ferreri 1468

Giovanni Bellini made this panel of the Polyptych of San Vincenzo Ferreri in Venice sometime in the 15th century. As an altarpiece, its display within the Basilica speaks to the public role of art at this time. This panel shows a miracle of Saint Vincent Ferrer. A collapsing building crushes adults and children. The saint appears in the clouds, while a man saves a child from the wreckage, and another prepares to resume demolition with an axe. Bellini references contemporary building practices in Venice with his depiction of brickwork construction and urban disaster. His decision to set a scene from Christian history in the artist’s present challenges the viewer to consider the relationship between religious authority, and the realities of urban life. Looking at municipal records and church archives from this period may tell us more about Bellini’s audience and how they might have responded to this image. By studying the artwork, we can understand its social and institutional context.