collage-like image; central rectangular band printed in blue with image of central figure holding a snake (?) emerging from a pod-like element held by a man in profile at right, with another man leaning on a staff at left; legs of two standing men in black and white at bottom of image; black and white image in LRC of graffiti on a city building with image of torso and legs of a woman wearing jean shorts, boots and a bikini top, straddling a taxi cab; two grey splotches with red at top of image; barbed wire, LLQ; irregular plate mark

Robert Rauschenberg%2C Bellini %233%2C 1988 %C2%A9 Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Bellini #3 (Allegory of Perseverance), 1988

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Bellini #3 is part of a series of prints based in part on a celebrated set of allegorical paintings by Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini (1430–1516). Rauschenberg’s print prominently features a photographic image of Bellini’s “Falsehood” allegory, depicting a man holding a large snake as he emerges from an enormous sea shell carried by two other men. Though the precise meaning of Bellini’s motif remains uncertain, it is believed by some to represent a generative source of virtue and wisdom. The allegorical image acts as an anchoring visual device, onto which Rauschenberg assembles various secondary images that visually and conceptually relate to the central image. Like the allegory, Rauschenberg’s print is enigmatic, allowing the viewer to assign and generate meaning by interpreting the interrelationships of the juxtaposed images.

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Details
Title
Bellini #3 (Allegory of Perseverance)
Artist Life
1925–2008
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2014.128
Provenance
Mary and Robert Mersky, Minneapolis, given to MIA, 2014
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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collage-like image; central rectangular band printed in blue with image of central figure holding a snake (?) emerging from a pod-like element held by a man in profile at right, with another man leaning on a staff at left; legs of two standing men in black and white at bottom of image; black and white image in LRC of graffiti on a city building with image of torso and legs of a woman wearing jean shorts, boots and a bikini top, straddling a taxi cab; two grey splotches with red at top of image; barbed wire, LLQ; irregular plate mark

Robert Rauschenberg, Bellini #3, 1988 © Robert Rauschenberg Foundation