BELLINI, GENTILE, a Venetian painter, born in the year 1421. He was employed by the republic of Venice; and to him and his brother that state is indebted for the noble works which are to be found in its council-hall. Mahomet II. having seen some of his performances, was so struck with them that he wrote to the republic, entreating that the artist might be sent to him. Bellini accordingly proceeded to Constantinople, where he painted a number of pieces, among which was the decollation of St John the Baptist, whom the Turks revere as a great prophet. Mahomet admired the proportion and shading of the work; but remarking a defect in regard to the skin of the neck, from which the head was separated, the sultan, to prove the truth of his observation, sent for a slave and ordered his head to be struck off. The painter by no means relishing this capital style of instruction, and anxious to place his own head beyond the reach of experiment, earnestly solicited his dismissal, which was granted by the grand signior. The republic settled a pension upon him at his return, and made him a knight of St Mark. He died in 1501, in the eightieth year of his age.