Bellini was a classically trained artist, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. In Italy he had many commissions for murals, portraits and church ceilings. Bellini emigrated to Canada in the 1950s. He first made his home in St. John, New Brunswick, which he depicted in many landscape paintings.

In Toronto he was known as “the sidewalk painter” because of his love of plein air painting. He had an intense fascination with the human figure and had success as a portrait painter. He painted the official portrait of Toronto Mayor, Nathan Phillips, in 1957.

Bellini maintained studios in Toronto and New York and produced over 2000 paintings in his career. The Gallery represents the remaining 350 paintings.