Conservators and curators used infrared reflectograms and x-radiography to study the underdrawings and compositional shifts made by Bellini, Giorgione, and Titian beneath the surface of their paintings. Select an image below to explore the discoveries revealed by these technical photographs.

Giorgione Venetian, 1477/1478–1510 Portrait of a Woman ("Laura"), 1506 oil on canvas mounted on panel Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie, Vienna		Giovanni Bellini and Titian Venetian, 1430/1435–1516; Venetian, 1490–1576 Feast of the Gods, 1514 and 1529 oil on canvas National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection
Giorgione Venetian, 1477/1478–1510 Three Philosophers, c. 1506 oil on canvas Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie, Vienna Audio (2:40 mins., MP3 3.68MB) | Transcript Audio Tour©2006 Acoustiguide Inc.		Titian Venetian, c. 1490–1576 Virgin and Child ("Gypsy Madonna") , c. 1511 oil on panel Kunsthistorisches Museum, Gemäldegalerie, Vienna Audio (1:44 mins., MP3 2.4MB) | Transcript Audio Tour©2006 Acoustiguide Inc.

See Technical Studies of Painting Methods (PDF 784kb) (Download Acrobat Reader) by Elke Oberthaler and Elizabeth Walmsley, for additional information. This essay is excerpted from Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting, Copyright © 2006 Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.