Gentile Bellini

Painter, born in Venice, NE Italy, the son of Jacopo Bellini and brother of Giovanni Bellini. He worked in his father's studio, and was chosen to paint the portrait of Sultan Muhammad II in Constantinople (c.1480, National Gallery, London). He is also known for his scenes of Venice.

His work includes large decoration of the Scuola Grande di San Marco (1470s) in conjunction with his brother Giovanni. The Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista hired Bellini amongst other worthy artists' to paint a narrative cycle. Bellini painted three 'teleri' oil on canvas paintings. The most beautiful 'Procession of the True Cross in Piazza San Marco' was painted in 1496. In 1478 he was chosen by the government of Venice to go to Constantinople and paint Sultan Mehmed II. Subsequently an Oriental flavor of the Islamic painting tradition appeared in several of his paintings, including the portrait of a Turkish artist and St. Mark Preaching at Alexandria.