V središču te izjemno vplivne predmetne študije o imago pietas je bolj kot slika (katere zgodovinsko mesto je med srednjim vekom in renesanso) perspektiva oziroma postopek, na katerem sloni študija: likovno obliko razume kot vizualno jezikovno obliko, ki jo sočasno občinstvo dojema in sprejema. Zato njegova kritična misel velja tezam in praksi o izolaciji umetnosti in terja razumevanje kompleksnega razmerja med resničnostjo in posnemanjem.
Hans Belting is a German art historian and theorist of medieval and Renaissance art, as well as contemporary art and image theory.
He was born in Andernach, Germany, and studied at the universities of Mainz and Rome, and took his doctorate in art history at the University of Mainz. Subsequently he has held a fellowship at Dumbarton Oaks (Harvard University), Washington, D.C.