Antonello da Messina (born 1429 or 1430 in Messina, died 1479) was an Italian painter from the 15th century. His real name was Antonio di Giovanni de Antonio, the "da Messina" simply refers to his origin. He was the first to use light in his paintings. With this, he was able to add some of what the Dutch painters of the time did already. Today, he is mostly known for portraits.