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| Portrait of Mehmet II | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Gentile Bellini |
| Year | 1480 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 70 cm × 52 cm (28 in × 20 in) |
| Location | National Gallery, London |
The Portrait of Mehmet II is a painting by the Venetian artist Gentile Bellini, depicting the Ottoman sultan, Mehmet the Conqueror, now in the National Gallery, London. It was painted in 1480 while Bellini was on a diplomatic mission in Constantinople. This painting records the significant economic and diplomatic ties between Venice and the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century.[1] Before this painting, the Ottomans had recently conquered Constantinople; this put the Venetian Republic in a situation where they had no choice but to accept a peace treaty from Mehmet, the conqueror, in 1479. Venice was actively tied with Constantinople through commercial links because of its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea. The importation of raw silk, cotton, illuminated manuscripts, inlaid metalwork, and spices would have ground to a halt without this peace treaty.[2] After a peace treaty was brokered between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmet II decided that he would like an Italian painter to be in residence at his court and paint for him; this task was placed upon Gentile Bellini.[1] At the time, Bellini was a painter of doges, primarily in Venice. Thus, Italy's decision to send Bellini to Istanbul to paint a portrait of Mehmet II was a diplomatic gesture aimed at fostering peace and promoting cooperation between the two nations.[3]
In the 19th century, the painting of Sultan Mehmet was in poor condition and had been heavily repainted. There was too much mishandling and over-cleaning, which resulted in many art historians being unable to confirm that the painting was by Bellini's hand. Art historians agree that about 10% of what we see in this painting is done by the Renaissance master Gentile.[4] Regardless, this painting showcases Gentile Bellini's skills, which the Sultan highly regarded. It also cleverly combines European and Islamic culture, reinforcing the Sultan's desire for a Venetian painter in his court.[2] Bellini's portrait left a lasting influence on Ottoman painting; several paintings, one of which was attributed to Shiblizade Ahmed, exist that derive their compositions from Bellini's.[5][6]
- ^ a b Kim, David Young (2015). "Gentile in Red". I Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance. 18 (1): 157–192. doi:10.1086/680525. ISSN 0393-5949. JSTOR 10.1086/680525. S2CID 179094154.
- ^ a b Fiore, Julia (2018-08-14). "How This Renaissance Portrait Helped End a War". Artsy. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
- ^ Nagel, Alexander (1995). "Review of The Altarpiece in Renaissance Venice". The Art Bulletin. 77 (1): 139–142. doi:10.2307/3046088. ISSN 0004-3079. JSTOR 3046088.
- ^ The grand Turk: Sultan Mehmet II--conqueror of Constantinople and master of an empire. 2010-08-01.
- ^ Wood, Paul (2007). "Art in Fifteenth-Century Venice: 'An Aesthetic of Diversity'". In Richardson, Carol (ed.). Locating Renaissance Art. New Haven: Yale University Press. pp. 229–237.
- ^ Cevizli, Antonia Gatward (2014). "Bellini, bronze and bombards: Sultan Mehmed II's requests reconsidered". Renaissance Studies. 28 (5): 748–765. doi:10.1111/rest.12059. ISSN 0269-1213. JSTOR 24423454. S2CID 191334166.