Gentile Bellini

Born into Venice's leading family of painters, he was taught by his father Jacopo. His brother was the master Giovanni Bellini and his brother-in-law was Andrea Mantegna, forming a prestigious Renaissance artistic circle.¹

His signed 1445 work 'The Blessed Lorenzo Giustinian' is one of the oldest surviving oil paintings in Venice. He was a pioneer in using the oil medium, which he learned from his father Jacopo.¹

In his lifetime, he was more highly regarded than his brother Giovanni, serving as the official portrait artist for the Doges of Venice from 1474, producing numerous portraits and large-scale ceremonial works.¹

An apocryphal story claims the Sultan beheaded a slave to demonstrate the anatomical contraction of a neck to Gentile. Terrified by such barbarity, Gentile reportedly sought an immediate release from his contract.¹

In 1479, he was sent to Constantinople by the Venetian government. He painted the portrait of Sultan Mehmed II and served as a cultural ambassador, bridging the gap between Eastern and Western cultures.¹

In the 1496 'Procession in St. Mark's Square,' he depicted the square with incredible detail. The painting also features a self-portrait alongside his brother Giovanni.¹

His most important works, monumental canvases in the Doge's Palace, were destroyed by fire in 1577. Consequently, his surviving oeuvre is limited to late masterpieces and works from his time in Constantinople.¹