Bellini was born in Monaco during the “Belle Epoque” era to a working class loving family of Italian descent. Surrounded by an idyllic setting where the air was perfumed by the flowers and fruits of the Mediterranean, meeting with the the colors of the sky, sun and earth. This formed an indelible palette in the young mind of this artist. An era of horse drawn carriages, polite society, the nearby theatre and opera house, all appealed and stimulated the senses of the young man who set to work as an apprentice in Nice for the architect Charles Damas, who was instrumental in the designs of the famous Paris Opera House and that of Monaco.
Later becoming an architect himself, in his search of the purity of the line, his internal compass directed him to the sea, the sailboats, the magical backdrop of the Casino and its gardens which persisted to inspire and capture his imagination. This led him to create his iconic posters for the Automobile Club of Monaco, as well as the special Galas and events of Monaco, and the city of Cannes. It was only a matter of time before his paintings were brought to the attention of the outside world. First exhibiting in 1949 at the Galerie Lambert in Paris, and quickly followed by the famed Galerie Petrides leading to many other exhibits in various galleries across the cities of Europe. His style is unique, reminiscent of far away impressionism, but with accents of fauvism.
With his success, Bellini purchased the baroque Italian Chapel in Cannes formerly owned by the Princess Kara-Georgevich of Serbia. Complete with bell tower and garden, it became his studio, and where he entertained the many luminaries who would visit him from the musicians of his day (Mireille Mathieu, Tino Rossi, Manitas de Plata…) to the artists ( Marie Laurencin, Maurice Utrillo, Carzou, Miro, Brayer…)to the celebrities and royalty (Lilly Pons, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Mitty Goldin among many others). Here in this beautiful setting, he recreated the settings of the 1930’s that so intrigued him throughout his life in oil and water colors. His love of the theatre and music propelled him to create sets for opera and theatre houses from Paris to Monaco and Cannes. He also had created large murals that hang in Municipal buildings in France and select corporations. His works hang in museums and private collections from Paris to the United States (Hirshhorn Museum, permanent collection, Washington DC).
Through Bellini’s work, you can experience the music, the theatre, the drama and nostalgia for this lost era. His beloved studio has been donated to the City of Cannes, where it functions both as a studio for his daughter the artist Lucette Bellini, and as a museum in his honor.