St. Mark Preaching in Alexandria (detail) 1507

Gentile Bellini painted this scene of Saint Mark Preaching in Alexandria around 1505, though the exact date is uncertain. Bellini belonged to a family of painters who had close ties to the Venetian government. This painting offers a window into Venice's complex relationship with the East during the Renaissance, a time of both trade and territorial conflict. Venice saw itself as a cultural bridge, yet its gaze was often filtered through a lens of power and difference. Here, we see a staged encounter, a Christian narrative unfolding against an imagined Eastern backdrop. Look closely at the veiled figures kneeling in the foreground, their faces obscured, and consider how such depictions reinforce notions of the ‘Orient’ as mysterious or subordinate. What does it mean to stage conversion in this way? The painting isn't just a religious scene; it's a cultural document, revealing how Venice negotiated its identity in relation to the world it encountered. It encourages us to reflect on the power dynamics embedded in representation itself.