Giovanni Bellinis Pieta Makes U.S. Debut Morgan Library & Museum To Host Special Viewing
January 09, 2026
From Jan. 15 through April 19, 2026, the Morgan Library & Museum will display the famed painting Piet (also known as Dead Christ Supported by Angels) (ca. 1470) by Giovanni Bellini (1424/261516), bringing this early Renaissance masterpiece to the United States for the first time. The exceptional loan of this masterwork from the Museo della Citt in Rimini, Italy, follows a comprehensive conservation treatment made possible by Venetian Heritage, Inc. The painting will be on view in J. Pierpont Morgans study within the Morgans historic library, alongside some of the finest Renaissance art collected by Morgan himself, including paintings by Hans Memling and Perugino and sculptures by Antonio Rossellino. The Morgan is delighted not only to bring Bellinis painting to the United States for the first time but also to unveil this masterpiece to the public following its eagerly awaited restoration, and for this we are deeply grateful to Venetian Heritage, said Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner director of the Morgan Library & Museum. Our presentation will allow visitors to the Morgan to see how Bellini drew inspiration from the Byzantine iconic tradition of painting the dead Christ, and gave fresh life to this devotional subject through combining a sense of deep spiritual emotion with a new humanist classicism. Bellinis powerful and melancholic Piet shows youthful angels contemplating the wounds of Christs dead body as they arrange it for veneration. In contrast to other versions of the subject, the angels in this painting do not wail uncontrollably; instead, the works poignancy derives from their sad, pensive preparation of Christs body. Bellini spent the entirety of his long career in his native city of Venice, producing altarpieces, paintings for private devotion, portraits, and secular scenes. For small devotional works like this painting of the dead Christ, he built upon a long tradition of Byzantine icon painting well known in Venice. He also incorporated sculptural models and an interest in the forms of ancient Roman art, which he had learned from his brother-in-law Andrea Mantegna. The resulting style was distinctly modern but also timeless. This presentation will coincide with the exhibition Caravaggios Boy with a Basket of Fruit in Focus, creating a remarkable opportunity for audiences to experience two pivotal moments in the history of Italian painting. Related programs and lectures will be announced. Sponsorship Giovanni Bellinis Piet Restored is made possible by Venetian Heritage, Inc. About the Morgan Library & Museum A museum and independent research library located in the heart of New York City, the Morgan Library & Museum began as the personal library of financier, collector, and cultural benefactor Pierpont Morgan. The Morgan offers visitors close encounters with great works of human accomplishment in a setting treasured for its intimate scale and historic significance. Its collection of manuscripts, rare books, music, drawings, and works of art comprises a unique and dynamic record of civilization, as well as an incomparable repository of ideas and of the creative process from 4000 BC to the present. To learn more, visit www.themorgan.org.

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