Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/394

 384 Painting (c) The Venetian School. We have now to turn to Venice, where we find an important school arising, founded by the brothers Bellini, in which brilliancy and harmony of colouring reached their fullest development. Before these in point of time, however, were Antonello da Messina (ab. 1440 — ab. 1493), who introduced into Italy the oil-painting practised by the Van Eycks, and the Vivarini, of whom the principal was Bartolommeo (fl. ab. 1450 — 1499), who executed the first oil-painting exhibited in Venice. Carlo Crivelli must also be noticed here, though he adhered to the old method of tempera painting. The -National Gallery possesses a Salcator MiuuU by Anto- nello da Messina; a Virgin and Child by Bartolommeo Vivarini, and figures of SS. Peter and, Jerome by his brother Antonio Vivarini (fl. 1440 — 1464), and no less than eight works by Carlo Crivelli. Giovanni Bellini (fl. 1464 — 1516) was the greater of the two brothers. Giovanni's best pictures were painted in oils (Antonello da Messina having, as we have seen, intro- duced the new medium to the Venetians in the latter part of the fifteenth century), and are characterised by a spiritual beauty of expression, combined with truth to nature and a brilliancy and transparency of colouring, hitherto never attained. Most of Giovanni Bellini's pictures are in the galleries and churches of Venice : they consist principally of portraits and Madonnas, of which we must name an altar-piece in the sacristy of S. Maria de' Frari, a Madonna in the Academy, and a Madonna, and Saints in S. Zaccaria ; his large altar-piece in SS. Giovanni e Paolo perished in the same fire which destroyed Titian's Peter