Sacred conversation

Sacra Conversazione or Santa Conversazione (it. = holy conversation / interview ) is a term introduced in the 19th century term for the representation of the Madonna with the infant Jesus in the company of saints. " The term ' Sacra Conversazione ' suggests a conversation that does not take place in pictures. It is a misunderstanding of the nineteenth century. Five hundred years ago there was talk, sober, of ' Madonna with saints '. , When a dialogical trains come into play, then less in the image of himself as the ratio of persons shown to the viewer. "

This form of art-historical iconography dedicated to showing an enthroned Madonna surrounded by saints. The Saints are located either on the side panels of a triptych or in an altarpiece without wings, on both sides of the Mother of God.

The type of picture has emerged in Italy since the 14th century and goes back to earlier Maesta representations. In contrast to the popular image of a polyptych form, where each character is assigned a separate room, are the participants in a " Sacred Conversation " in a single image space. Especially in the 16th century Venice developed excellent examples of this type of image, but prevailed in the rest of Italy. Example factor for Venice were Pala Giorgione of Castelfranco and Giovanni Bellini altarpiece in Venice San Giobbi.

Examples of such images that have arisen north of the Alps, are rather rare. Similar types of images are in the Netherlands, the Virgo inter virgines (Latin for " Virgin among virgins " ) and especially in the Rhineland area, the Mary in the Garden of Eden.

Giovanni Bellini: Pala di San Giobbi, Venice, 1487-88, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Giorgione: Pala of Castelfranco, 1505

Hans Holbein the Younger: Solothurn Madonna, 1522