Gentile Bellini, Venetian,1429-1507
Oil on canvas. 70x52cm. National Gallery, London, UK
In 1479, the Republic of Venice sent Gentile Bellini to Constantinople to paint the portrait of Mehmed II.
In 1451 Mehmed II reclaimed the throne upon his father's death. Two years later he brought an end to the Byzantine Empire by capturing its capital during the siege of Constantinople.
