by the Germans upon their arrival in Cologne after coming from the island of Britain. Carpaccio was greatly inspired by the legend, especially its themes of massacre and chronology that brought the story to life. The cycle of paintings expresses a fantastical tone that is reminiscent of Giovanni Bellini and Gentile Bellini. It would take Carpaccio about seven years to complete all nine paintings and over the course of the seven years his artistic style would mature. Carpaccio's use of perspective, depth, and dimension were key points of improvement throughout his series, as observed by various art historians. One of the most notable paintings in The Legend of Saint Ursula series is the Arrival of St. Ursula at Cologne (1490), which recalls the work of Jacopo Bellini in its elemental treatment of light and atmosphere. In the Dream of St. Ursula (1490), Carpaccio paints the story of heavenly love where St. Ursula is visited by an angel in her dream informing her that she will die and become a martyr of Christ. By 1495, in the Departure of St. Ursula, the largest canvas of the series, his treatment of color, geometric perspective, and figural composition would reflect his careful study and mastery over Venetian narrative art form. The piece illustrates a town teeming with people, while simultaneously flaunting splendor by including marbles, expensive fabrics, and architecture inspired by the eastern Mediterranean. The Schiavoni and Albanesi Cycles In the opening decade of the sixteenth century, Carpaccio embarked on works that scholars have argued that he was one of the foremost orientalist painters of his age. From 1502 to 1507 Carpaccio executed another notable cycle of panels for the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni which served one of Venice's immigrant communities (Schiavoni meaning "Slavs" in the Venetian dialect). Unlike the use of a continuous narrative sequence found in the St. Ursula series, wherein the main characters appear multiple times within each canvas, each work in the Schiavoni cycle concentrates on a single episode in the lives of the Dalmatian's three patron saints: St. Jerome, St. George and St. Trifon. In the painting, Jerome Leading the Lion into the Monastery (1509), introduces a humorous, intimate mood. These works are thought of as "orientalist" because they offer evidence of a fascination with the Levant: a distinctly middle-eastern looking landscape takes an increasing role in the images as the backdrop to the religious scenes.