Pietro Bellotti e la pittura del Seicento a Venezia / Pietro Bellotti and 17th-Century Painting in Venice

This richly illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition Amazement, Reality, Enigma: Pietro Bellotti and the Painting of 17th Century in Venice, held at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice from September 19, 2025 to January 18, 2026. The publication presents a comprehensive overview of the artist Pierre Bellotti (1625–1700) and situates his eccentric yet masterful oeuvre within the dynamic context of 17th-century Venetian painting.

Edited by Francesco Ceretti, Michele Nicolaci and Filippo Piazza, and published by Officina Libraria, this 240-page volume traces Bellotti’s trajectory from his early naturalistic portraits of aged figures and allegorical subjects, through his travels in Munich and Milan, to his mature work of genre scenes and Venetian commissions. With vivid colour reproduction and scholarly essays, the catalog explores Bellotti’s combination of startling reality, allegory and enigma, capturing the spirit of the Seicento in Venice and presenting works previously scattered across collections.

Whether you are drawn to the electric intensity of mid-century Venetian painting, the symbolism of allegory, or the tradition of the Baroque within a Venetian context, this catalog invites you to discover an under-appreciated master whose work bridges realism, imagination and theatrical drama.