Gentile Bellini

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Portrait of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus by Gentile Bellini, at the Magyar Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest
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Portrait of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus by Gentile Bellini, at the Magyar Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

Gentile Bellini (c.1429-1507) was an Italian artist. 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. Bellini depicts a man witnessing a miracle in the Piazza; this painting gained the Scuola huge prestige. In 1478 he was chosen by the government of Venice to go to Constantinople and paint Sultan Mehmed II. About that, it was noticed that the portrait is like one of the figures in a painting by Marco Palmezzano, Jesus among the Doctors in the Temple (Brisighella, near Forlì and Ravenna - [Italy]]). So all the questions about the portrait by Bellini (the year, the true author...) had an increase.

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. The last was completed by his brother, Giovanni Bellini.

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