Portrait of Mehmed II

The Ottoman ruler Mehmed II saw himself as a Renaissance patron of the arts, and he called on the most famous artists and architects of the day to work for him. The painter of this portrait, Gentile Bellini, was from a well-known family of artists in Venice and served at Mehmed’s court in 1479–1480. The revival of portraiture, so characteristic of Renaissance tastes, was as important to the Turkish sultans as to European rulers. (National Gallery, London, UK / Bridgeman Images.)