The table dates back to the period of the sixties of the Fifteenth century, clearly demonstrates the independence of the artist from the school of Andrea Mantegna, with which not only had cultural similarities, but also kinship ties, narrow, (being his brother-in-law).

The influence of the artist padovano you can see in the energy of the contour lines and rendered in sculptural figures that seem to be pushing in the foreground and occupy the space of the observer. However, Bellini has enclosed the scene in an atmosphere of natural light, and softened the hues and by focusing not so much on the creation of a space a prospective, rigorous, and on the representation of the suffering humanity of the characters. In this way, the artist creates a new language that has become, over the years, her personal style and unmistakable.

The cartouche refers to the words of the great poet Propertius, who lived in the augustan age, which describes the ability of the image to arouse intense emotions in the viewer. This artwork is among those that can cause this effect.
“Haec fere quum gemitus turgentia lumina promant/Bellini poterat complete opus,” or “These eyes swollen almost hear the groans, the work of Giovanni Bellini can shed tears”.

Mary holding the broken body of Christ and with the same tenderness with which he is cradling a child. The scene is full of pain: the heat of the hands of the living, in contrast with the pallor of death, and the mourning of John, who turned emphasizes the pain. But the scene also highlights the bond between mother and son. The proximity of the faces, nose against nose, the mouth, close to the mouth of the other, reveals a remarkable physical resemblance and causes this extreme act of motherhood is both human and divine.
Sarah Dunant