The Martyrdom of Saint Mark

Giovanni Bellini's The Martyrdom of Saint Mark of 1526, the last documented painting before his death at over eighty, depicts the Evangelist's execution in Alexandria — Venice's patron saint meeting his death at pagan hands. Bellini's late works achieve a distinctive atmospheric freedom anticipating subsequent Venetian painting, and the martyrdom's crowd scene demonstrates sustained ability to organize complex figure compositions in extreme old age.

The painting shows the transition from Bellini's late manner to the style of his workshop successors. The design likely follows Bellini's composition, but the execution — particularly in the more dramatic elements — may reflect the completing hand of a younger painter working in a more modern idiom.