Madonna and Child by the Workshop of Giovanni Bellini, oil on wood, 1510. Beautifully preserved, this small picture epitomizes the finest works produced in Bellini's workshop for private devotion. The landscape derives from one by Bellini himself. The metaphorical contrast between the two halves of the landscape, with a dead tree and one in foliage, are intentional and remind the viewer of the consequences of the choices we make during our pilgrimage of life. The poet Bembo reported that "it is [Bellini's] practice ... to always wander at will in his paintings so that in a like fashion they satisfy those who look at them." A Madonna is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. No image permeates Christian art as the image of the Madonna and child. While Mary may be referred to as "the Madonna" in other contexts, in art the term is applied specifically to an artwork in which Mary, with or without the infant Jesus, is the focus, and central figure of the picture. Mary and the infant Jesus may be surrounded by adoring angels or worshiping saints.