Focus on Portrait of Mehmet II and discuss the Description.
Mehmet is depicted wearing his red caftan layered on top with a lavish fur veil in addition to his headdress consisting of a wrapped turban over a red taj; this serves two purposes for indicating his rank and religious identity. A piece of Ottoman embroidery hangs down the front of the frame, encrusted with jewels. This painting by Bellini is significant as it marks a shift from fantasy to naturalism in Western depictions of the Turks. Venetian travelers who returned from the East were inspired to create factual images of the Muslim world which led to more authentic portrayals. The painting of the sultan created in the past shows a blend of both European and Islamic cultures. The nineteenth century heavily repainted the portrait. The sultan is depicted by Bellini under an arch, and in near profile, which are both symbols of power in the West since the Roman Empire. However, Mehmet is also portrayed in the attire of Islamic power. He wears a deep red caftan and a luxurious brown fur mantle, along with a wrapped turban over a red taj, which is a headdress that signifies his rank and his identity as a Muslim.The sultan commissioned this portrait to be highly accurate, which can be seen in the precision of his arched brow and aquiline nose.  Art historians believe because Mehmed requested an Italian artist at the time; he wanted a very naturalistic likeness to be painted of him and wanted to be viewed as an Italian ruler in a stylized natural portrait. In fact, the details in the portrait were used to determine to date the painting. For instance, the sultan's drawn face and sunken neck suggest that the portrait was painted in 1480, the year before the sultan's death from illness. During his stay in Constantinople, Bellini developed an appreciation for Ottoman and Islamic art, which is reflected in both the Portrait of Mehmet II and his later works. Mehmet was interested in Italian art and specifically the art of portraiture. He owned many objects made by Italian artists and architects, and he wanted an accurate portrayal of himself in his own portrait. For this reason, he asked for a Venetian painter who could create a painting that was true to reality. The rounding voluminous forms of Mehmet's garb and turban give great contrast to the sharp, thin, and angular features of his hooked nose and pointed chin. Bellini used classical conventions at the time in Italy to portray Mehmed as being distanced from the viewer. Surrounding the portrait is a painted frame consisting of an arch reminiscent of classicizing portals from Venice in that period, as well as the parapet draped with a cloth. The lower left of the painting has the inscription “Victor Orbis” or “Conqueror of the World”. Another partial inscription remains in the painting In reference to Bellini's artistry “… the true skill of Gentile Bellini, nature's golden soldier, recalls the sultan's [appearance], [and] represents all things in their particularities… [Bellini] made this same image on the 15thday of the month of November 1480.” This inscription is in such bad shape it is hard for art historians to confidently translate most of it. Looking closely at the painting there are obvious inconsistencies or misconnections. Considering the arch and overall painting outside of the figure itself, it is polished, well painted yet incredibly flimsy looking; it frames Mehmet perfectly at the top but then his body is hidden by the sides. Mehmet looks blurred in comparison to the architecture surrounding him. It is almost as if the background, middleground, and foreground of this painting have been combined together.
Constantinople Venice Ottoman naturalistic Venetian Gentile Bellini