Searching for the Perfect Painting

One day I was sniffing about in the Accademia in Venice, with a silly smile on my face, having taken my fill of some truly magnificent Venetian masterpieces which included 'St. John the Baptist 'by Titian, the truly remarkable' Transport of the Body of St. Mark 'by Tintoretto and sighing over the Bellini's and Tiepolo's! Having thought enough was enough, I began making my way towards the exit when I decided to stick my nose into what is the oldest part of the museum, the former Church of Santa Maria della Carita ', because I love the gothic atmosphere, inside part of what was the first of the great schools of Venice, the Scuola della Carita ', founded in 1260. This is room 23 of the Accademia today and obviously was the church of the old school and well worth a look when you are next here. I moved towards the end of what must have been the altar area and there it was? Temporarily displayed here as it turned out, awaiting its return home to the cathedral in the little town of Castelfranco Veneto, some 40 ks inland from Venice, I was lucky enough to see it in this lovely space.

I stopped dead in my tracks and just stared. How can one put down into words what was for me, there and then, a revelation. Of all the paintings I've stood before and there have been thousands, I've never been so moved and beguiled by any work before or since. The light was perfect, in the distant background with beautiful soft and defused coloring; the middle ground with the Madonna perched high on a throne was perfect in its details and color balance. Her look of quiet humanity was bewitching, whilst in the foreground the sharp details jumped to attention with the expected mood of courage and honor surrounding George on the left and the gentle spirituality of Francis on the right with his outstretched left hand inviting us to enter and participate in the momentous occasion.

Vasari tells us that in this painting we see one of the first examples of pittura sanza disegno (painting without drawing) by Giorgione. This technique became to define the Venetian Renaissance in painting and Giorgione's famous pupil, Titian was its foremost exponent of this painterly style.

What was it about this painting that had me smiling as I quietly walked around it slowly, viewing it from every angle, and still I wonder about it today? The man was an innovator no doubt, whose use of tiny disconnected spots of color brought into oil painting, was derived from his study of manuscript illumination techniques. This technique gave Giorgione's works the 'magical' glow of light for which he became famous, and is so evident in this work.

I suppose ultimately there is no 'perfect' painting, just the piece you like, which for you is perfection. For me, the 'Madonna with Child and St. Francis and St. George 'by the great Giorgone spoke to me that day in the Accademia and I shall be forever grateful it did.