Drawings of Ottomans that the Venetian painter Gentile Bellini made for Sultan Mehmed II in 1480 and copies of them raise questions of purpose, attribution and reception in Italy. Examining them in Ottoman contexts — specifically Mehmed’s artistic program and his successor Bayezid II’s political and diplomatic concerns — as well as contemporary Italian events suggests intriguing answers. The presentation exemplifies Roz’s multicultural approach to Renaissance art and new tools for art historians.

Please join us for this special program, where Tricia Y. Paik, Florence Finch Abbott Director of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, will introduce Mack for a presentation that explores Renaissance art through a multicultural lens and uplifts new tools for art historians.

As Roddy Pratt ’63 received a doctorate in Italian Renaissance art from Harvard and married David Mack, she became known as Rosamond E. (Roz) Mack. David’s career in seven Arab countries as a Foreign Service Officer offered her few professional opportunities, but she kept up her academic skills by volunteering at the National Gallery of Art when they were in Washington. Meanwhile, she developed an interest in Islamic art and the Italian contact with it, which she energetically pursued after David's retirement. The resulting book “Bazaar to Piazza: Islamic Trade and Italian Art 1300-1500” (University of California Press, 2002) successfully established the subject and her expertise, leading to further publications and international lecturing.

Accessibility Information

This event will include a digital presentation regarding the works of Gentile Bellini. To inquire about the accessibility of this event or to request any accommodations, please email the programs team or call Associate Director of Digital Engagement Kate Sawicki at 413-538-2734. Please make accommodation requests no later than 10 business days before the event to allow for implementation time. However, in all situations, we will make a good-faith effort to provide accommodations up until the time of the event.

The recording feature for others will be disabled so that no one else will be able to record this session through Zoom. Recording by any other means is not permitted at any time without prior written permission from the event sponsor or as an approved accommodation.