In San Zeno Altarpiece (Mantegna), how is the Oil lamp, ostrich egg, and rosary of the Imagery, symbolism, and technique elucidated?
Hanging above the Madonna and in between the festooned garlands hangs a burning oil lamp with a flame, surmounted by a large ostrich egg, symbolizing the Virgin birth. Ostrich eggs were typically hung over altars that were dedicated to the Virgin Mary and can be found in later Italian Renaissance paintings, including Pierro della Francesca's Brera Madonna(1472) and Giovanni Bellini's San Zaccaria Altarpiece (1505). Below the oil lamp is a strand of red rosary beads.
Pierro della Francesca Italian Renaissance painting San Zaccaria Altarpiece Altarpiece Giovanni Bellini Virgin birth