Doge Leonardo Loredan, Giovanni Bellini (1501)
In Giovanni Bellini's portrait "Doge Leonardo Loredan," the subject is acutely aware of being observed yet chooses not to meet the viewer's eye. He stands as the Doge, the esteemed leader of the Venetian Republic, having been elected in 1501 and serving until his death in 1521. Loredan is garbed in regal white silk damask, interwoven with precious gold and silver threads, attire befitting the grandeur of Venice's most ceremonial events like Candlemas and the Annunciation. The painting's style, an armless, half-length format, echoes the classical marble busts of Roman emperors, often mounted on pedestals, a nod to the parapet in the painting. This format was revived during the Renaissance to depict the influential and affluent in sculpted form.
