senting this story, delineated in perspective several houses situated along the Grand Canal, showing the Ponte della Paglia, and the Piazza di San Marco, with a long procession of men and women who are walking behind the clergy. Many persons have cast themselves into the water, others are in the act of throwing themselves in, some are half-immersed, and others are in other positions, but all in very fine attitudes: finally, the artist depicted the Guardian above-named, who recovers the cross. The labour and pains bestowed on this work were very great, as is manifest when we consider the vast number of figures, the many portraits taken from the life, the diminution of the figures receding into the distance, and the likenesses more particularly of almost all the men who then belonged to that Scuola, or company. The master has likewise represented the Replacing of the Cross: and all these pictures, painted on canvas, as before related, brought Gentile very great reputation.[1]
In the course of time Jacopo withdrew himself entirely from his previous association with his children, and gave his attention, as did his two sons on their part, each separately to his own works. Of Jacopo I will make no further mention, because his paintings, when compared with those of his sons, were not extraordinary,[2] and no long time after he had withdrawn himself from his sons, he died: but I will not omit to say that, although the brothers separated, and each lived alone, yet they had so much affection for each other, and both held their father in so much reverence, that each, constantly extolling the other, attributed inferior merit only to himself, and thus modestly sought to emulate each other no less in gentleness and courtesy than in the excellences of art.
The first works of Giovanni Bellini were certain portraits from the life, which gave great satisfaction, more especially that of the Doge Loredano; but this is said by some to be the likeness of Giovanni Mozzenigo, brother of that Piero Mozzenigo who had been Doge long before Loredano.[3]
- ↑ Two of the pictures here described are in the Venetian Academy of Fine Arts, and engravings of both may be found in Zanotto, ut supra.
- ↑ Almost all the works of Jacopo Bellini have perished; the only well authenticated picture by this artist, now in Venice, is one in the Manfrini Gallery, representing the portraits of Petrarch and Laura. —Ed. Flor., 1838.
- ↑ Giovanni Mozzenigo was Doge from 1478 to 1485. Leonardo Loredano, from 1501 to 1521; the portrait of the latter is now in the National Gallery.
