DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51584#0193
THE BELLINI.
189
evidence worthy of credit. Antonella had divulged
his secret to several of his friends, particularly to
Domenico Veneziano, afterwards murdered by
Andrea Castagno. Besides, the character of Bellini
renders it unlikely that he would have been guilty
of such a perfidious trick.
Gian Bellini is said to have introduced at Venice
the fashion of portrait-painting: before his time the
likenesses of living persons had been frequently
painted, but they were almost always introduced
into pictures of large subjects: portraits properly
so called were scarcely known till his time; then,
and afterwards, every noble Venetian sat for his
picture, generally the head only or half-length.
Their houses were filled with family portraits, and
it became a custom to have the effigies of their
doges and those who distinguished themselves in
the service of their country painted by order of the
state and hung in the ducal palace, where many of
them are still to be seen. Up to the latest period
of his life Gian Bellini had been employed in paint-
ing for his countrymen only religious pictures or
portraits, or subjects of Venetian history ; the clas-
sical taste which had spread through all the states
of Italy had not yet penetrated to Venice: but
towards the end of his life, when nearly ninety, he
was invited to Ferrara to paint in the palace of the
duke a dance of bacchanals. On this occasion he
made the acquaintance of Ariosto, who mentions
189
evidence worthy of credit. Antonella had divulged
his secret to several of his friends, particularly to
Domenico Veneziano, afterwards murdered by
Andrea Castagno. Besides, the character of Bellini
renders it unlikely that he would have been guilty
of such a perfidious trick.
Gian Bellini is said to have introduced at Venice
the fashion of portrait-painting: before his time the
likenesses of living persons had been frequently
painted, but they were almost always introduced
into pictures of large subjects: portraits properly
so called were scarcely known till his time; then,
and afterwards, every noble Venetian sat for his
picture, generally the head only or half-length.
Their houses were filled with family portraits, and
it became a custom to have the effigies of their
doges and those who distinguished themselves in
the service of their country painted by order of the
state and hung in the ducal palace, where many of
them are still to be seen. Up to the latest period
of his life Gian Bellini had been employed in paint-
ing for his countrymen only religious pictures or
portraits, or subjects of Venetian history ; the clas-
sical taste which had spread through all the states
of Italy had not yet penetrated to Venice: but
towards the end of his life, when nearly ninety, he
was invited to Ferrara to paint in the palace of the
duke a dance of bacchanals. On this occasion he
made the acquaintance of Ariosto, who mentions