Gentile Bellini

Gentile Bellini(c. 1429 – 23 February 1507) was an Italian painter of theschool of Venice. He came from Venice's leading family of painters, and at least in the early part of his career was more highly regarded than his younger brotherGiovanni Bellini, the reverse of the case today. From 1474 he was the official portrait artist for theDoges of Venice, and as well as his portraits he painted a number of very large subjects with multitudes of figures, especially for theScuole Grandi of Venice, wealthyconfraternitiesthat were very important in Venetianpatriciansocial life.

In 1479 he was sent toConstantinopleby the Venetian government when theOttoman SultanMehmed IIrequested an artist; he returned the next year. Thereafter a number of his subjects were set in the East, and he is one of the founders of theOrientalisttradition in Western painting. Hisportrait of the Sultanwas also copied in paintings and prints and became known all over Europe.

Gentile was born into the leading family of painters in Venice. His fatherJacopo Bellini, was a Venetian pioneer in the use ofoil paintas an artistic medium; his brother wasGiovanni Bellini, and his brother-in-lawAndrea Mantegna. He was christened Gentile after Jacopo's master,Gentile da Fabriano.[2]Gentile was taught painting in the workshop of his father. Although today Gentile is often seen in the shadow of his more famous family members, in his own time he was considered among the greatest living painters in Venice and had no shortage of commissions; his talent as a portraitist revealed itself at an early age.

Gentile's earliest signed work isThe Blessed Lorenzo Giustinian(1445), one of the oldest surviving oil paintings in Venice (now at the Accademia Museum). During the 1450s Bellini worked on a commission for theScuola Grande di San Marcoand painted in conjunction with his brother, Giovanni Bellini. From 1454 he was also the official portrait artist for the Doges of Venice,[3](for example, see image of the Doge Giovanni Mocenigo at right).

Much of Gentile Bellini's surviving work consists of very large paintings for public buildings, including those for theScuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista. Along withLazzaro Bastiani,Vittore Carpaccio,Giovanni MansuetiandBenedetto Rusconi, Bellini was one of the artists of hired to paint the 10-painting narrative cycle known asThe Miracles of the Relic of the Cross. The commission was intended to celebrate therelicof theHoly Crosswhich theconfraternityhad received in 1369. Gentile's contributions include theProcession of the True Cross in Piazza San Marco, which dates from 1496, and theMiracle of the True Cross at the S. Lorenzo Bridge, dating from 1500 and featuring Gentile's self-portrait and that of his brother Giovanni.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentile_Bellini