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Diplomatic Relations Between Venice and the Ottoman Empire

Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire's reign. This was a monumental moment in the history of Europe that had significant implications for the surrounding countries as well as countries that had a diplomatic relationship with Constantinople. Italy was one of those countries that had a relationship with Constantinople that involved trade. When Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and established the Ottoman Empire as one of the most powerful entities in the region, Italy had no choice but to have good relations with the Ottoman Empire to maintain its trade status and still benefit economically. Much like Constantinople, Venice was also a hub for trade. Venice wanted to keep its position as the central location for commercial activities in the Mediterranean, which started a war between the Ottoman Empire and Venice. These costly wars eventually forced Venice to have a policy that focused on maintaining good relations with the Ottoman Empire.

Interpretation

Mehmet II had many nicknames including “The Man Who Connected The World”. He had an honorable reputation. For “a Turk” to be asking a Western painter to paint a portrait of him is unusual considering the perceptions of Turks in the West. Bellini’s portrait can be interpreted as a tool that helped the West transition from stereotypical Islamic perceptions to more authentic perceptions. The portrait is not like any other painting in terms of what it represents. Bellini didn’t draw a portrait of Mehmet II because he wanted to depict in his painting what a sultan looks like. He drew the portrait because he was asked to by Mehmet II. At the time in Venice, Bellini was a painter who painted portraits of doges so Italy sending him away to Istanbul to paint a portrait of Mehmet II can be interpreted as a diplomatic gift that signifies peace and cooperation. Mehmet’s reason for asking for a Venetian painter stemmed from his interest in Italian art. He owned many objects made for him by Italian artists and architects but was specifically interested in the art of portraiture. Mehmet cared greatly about paintings that were accurate to reality and he wanted that for his own portrait. He once looked at one of Bellini’s paintings that captured the beheading of Saint John the Baptist which made him unsure of Bellini’s ability to paint realistically. In order to test Bellini’s skills, Mehmet decapitated a slave in front of Bellini and told him where he went wrong in his painting, specifically how he captured the anatomy of the head.