For over 60 years, Giovanni Bellini was recognized as the leading artist of his native city of Venice. Born into a family of painters, he was largely responsible for transforming Venice from an artistically provincial city to a major centre of the Renaissance.

Abandoning the precise Gothic style of his father's workshop, he perfected the new technique of oil painting to create rich colour harmonies and a uniquely luminous atmosphere.

In his many versions of "The Madonna and Child" and in his altarpieces, Bellini endowed the traditional figured with a new humanity, which can also be seen in his portraits. He also became famous for his glittering landscape backgrounds, for which he must be ranked with the greatest painters. Even in his old age, Bellini continued to experiment with new forms and ideas, but he always remained true to his Venetian roots.

The Venice into which Bellini was born...