Description
The Circumcision gathers a closely packed group around the infant Christ. An older man occupies the middle, with women and a dark-mantled figure arranged around the child. In the displayed monochrome view, the changes between pale faces, hands and darker clothing make the relationships especially clear. The participants’ shared attention links them across the composition, keeping the ceremony concentrated within a half-length gathering.
Dated 1511, this oil painting on wood was produced in Giovanni Bellini’s workshop, following a design by the master. The Metropolitan Museum of Art distinguishes that workshop authorship from an autograph Bellini painting. The composition survives in related versions with variations in the figures and background; here, the landscape gives the ceremonial gathering an outward depth while the central relationships keep the action concentrated.
Read our guide to giclée prints or browse the Giovanni Bellini collection.
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