Ep. 32: Mehmed II and Italian Art in the Ottoman Courts

The conquest of Constantinople placed the Ottoman Empire at the center of the Mediterranean world. Sultan Mehmed II thrived under the cultural pluralism of his new court, procuring artists from both sides of his world: Italy and Persia. However, the Italianization of the Ottoman Empire is locked within Mehmed's reign, as the greater Ottoman court did not share his appreciation for European art and design. 

Gentile Bellini arrived in Istanbul around 1479. This episode looks at his experience and works produced during his stay, elaborating them in relation to Mehmed II and his artistic taste. 

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