Saint Mark Preaching in Alexandria

Giovanni Bellini's Saint Mark Preaching in Alexandria, begun around 1500 and now in the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan, was left unfinished at the artist's death and completed by his brother Gentile Bellini and others. The enormous canvas depicts Venice's patron saint preaching to an exotic crowd in an Orientalized Alexandria. The painting demonstrates the Venetian fascination with the East and the collaborative workshop practices that characterized major Venetian commissions.

The monumental canvas combines Giovanni's atmospheric approach with documentary precision in the exotic architectural and costume details, reflecting the collaborative workshop process of the Bellini studio in its final major narrative commission.