CNN Turkey: On Portraits of Mehmed II

In July I was interviewed by CNN Turkey about a recent purchase of this double portrait related to Gentile Bellini’s London painting, the subject of my recent book. The purchase is controversial, because of cost and because of politics and how images of Mehmed are perceived and used by different factions in Turkey today. Proof that “Old Masters” still matter!

Artist unknown (after Gentile Bellini), Double Portrait of Sultan Mehmed II and a Young Man, purchased on June 25, 2020 from Christie’s London by the Municipality of Istanbul