DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51584#0189
THE BELLINI.
185
liberation, selected for this service Gentile Bellini,
who took his departure accordingly in one of the
state galleys, and on arriving at Constantinople was
received with great honour. During his residence
there he painted the portrait of the Sultan and one
of his favourite sultanas; and lie took an oppor-
tunity of presenting to the Sultan, as a token of
homage from himself, a picture of the head of John
the Baptist after decapitation. The Sultan admired
it much, but criticised, with the air of a connoisseur,
the appearance of the neck: he observed that the
shrinking of the severed nerves was not properly
expressed. As Gentile Bellini did not appear to
feel the full force of this criticism, the Sultan
called in one of his slaves, commanded the wretch
to kneel down, and, drawing his sabre, cut off his
head with a stroke, and thus gave the astonished
and terrified painter a practical lesson in anatomy.
It may be easily believed that after this horrible
scene Gentile became uneasy till he had obtained
leave of departure, and the Sultan at length dis-
missed him, with a letter of strong recommendation
to his own government, a chain of gold, and other
rich presents. After his return to Venice he
painted some remarkable pictures; among them
one representing St. Mark preaching at Alexandria,
in which he has painted the men and women of
Alexandria in rich Turkish costumes, such as he
had seen at Constantinople. This curious picture
185
liberation, selected for this service Gentile Bellini,
who took his departure accordingly in one of the
state galleys, and on arriving at Constantinople was
received with great honour. During his residence
there he painted the portrait of the Sultan and one
of his favourite sultanas; and lie took an oppor-
tunity of presenting to the Sultan, as a token of
homage from himself, a picture of the head of John
the Baptist after decapitation. The Sultan admired
it much, but criticised, with the air of a connoisseur,
the appearance of the neck: he observed that the
shrinking of the severed nerves was not properly
expressed. As Gentile Bellini did not appear to
feel the full force of this criticism, the Sultan
called in one of his slaves, commanded the wretch
to kneel down, and, drawing his sabre, cut off his
head with a stroke, and thus gave the astonished
and terrified painter a practical lesson in anatomy.
It may be easily believed that after this horrible
scene Gentile became uneasy till he had obtained
leave of departure, and the Sultan at length dis-
missed him, with a letter of strong recommendation
to his own government, a chain of gold, and other
rich presents. After his return to Venice he
painted some remarkable pictures; among them
one representing St. Mark preaching at Alexandria,
in which he has painted the men and women of
Alexandria in rich Turkish costumes, such as he
had seen at Constantinople. This curious picture