ait of a Humanist,"
in the Castello in Milan, is classic in its deepest sense; and in the
Trivulzio College at Milan an older man looks at us out of sly,
expressive eyes, with characteristic eyebrows and kindly, half-cynical
mouth. It was not wonderful that these portraits, combined with the new
medium, worked upon Gentile's imagination and determined his bent.

The first examples of great canvases, illustrating and celebrating
their own pageants, must have mightily pleased the Venetians. Scenes
in the style of the reception of the Venetian ambassadors were called
for on all hands, and when the excellence of Gentile's portraits was
recognised, he became the model for all Venice. When his own and his
father's and brother's paintings perished by fire in 1485, he offered
to replace them "quicker than was humanly possible" and at a very low
price. Giovanni, who had been engaged on the external decorations, was
ill at the time, but the Signoria was so pleased with the offer that it
was decided to let no one touch the work till the two brothers were
able to finish it. Gentile still painted religious altarpieces with the
Virgin and Child enthroned with saints, but most of his time was devoted
to the production of his great canvases. Some of these have disappeared,
but the "Procession" and "Miracle of the Cross," commissioned by the
school of S. Giovanni Evangelista, are now in the Academy, and the
third canvas, executed for the same school, "St. Mark preaching at
Alexandria," which was unfinished at the time of his death, and was
completed by his brother, is in the Brera.

[Illustration: _Gentile Bellini._
PROCESSION OF THE HOLY CROSS.
_Venice._
(_Photo, Anderson._)]

These great compositions of crowds bring back for us the Venice of
Gentile's day as no verbal description can do. There is no especial
richness of colour; the light is that of broad day in the Piazza and
among the luminous waterways of the city. We can see the scene any
day now in the wide square, making allowance for the difference of
costume. The groups are set about in the ample space, with the wonderful
cathedral as a background. St. Mark's has been painted hundreds of
times, but no one has ever given such a good idea of it as Gentile--of
its stateliness and beauty, of its wealth of detail; and he does so
without detracting from the general effect, for St. Mark's, though the
keynote of the whole compositi