Artists
Gentile Bellini
- Country:
- Italy
- Birth year:
- 1426
- Death year:
- 1507
Gentile Belini (c. 1426Venice-1507 Venice) was trained by his father, the painter Jacopo Bellini, and later took over the leadership of his workshop. Beginning in 1466 he received official commissions from the city of Venice, and was granted the title of Count-Palatine (conte palatino) three years later. From 1479 to 1481 he was sent to Constantinople on diplomatic missions as a Venetian ambassador. Bellini's paintings are characterized by a schooled use of perspective in their construction, as well as by their calm contours surrounding areas of restrained colour. His fresh, realistic narrative style restrained colour. His fresh, realistic narrative style and eye for detail enabled him to depict life in and eye for detail enabled him to depict life in Venice vividly. It is this aspect of his art that made him so important in the development of Benetian vedute (Italian for "views") and panoramas. Some of the artist's works incude The Virgin Mary with Donors, c. 1450, Gemaldegalerie, SMPK, Berlin; San Lorenzo Giustiniani, 1465, Galleria dell' Accademia, Venice; and Mohammed II, 480, The National Gallery, London.