The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople
Benjamin-Constant, 1876
Sultan Mehmed II rides into Constantinople on 29 May 1453 over the bodies of its last defenders. The fall of the city ended the Roman Empire in the East after more than a thousand years.
About this work
Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant's large canvas The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople won a medal in 1876 and is now in the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse. It shows the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II riding into the city on May 29, 1453, at the head of his army, past the bodies of its last defenders. Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, fell that day after a 53-day siege that had begun on April 6. The Ottoman army, which greatly outnumbered the defenders, was commanded by Mehmed, later called "the Conqueror"; the Byzantines were led by Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos. When the walls were breached, the troops converged on the great church of Hagia Sophia, where a crowd of civilians had taken refuge. Mehmed then made Constantinople the new Ottoman capital. The fall of the city marked the effective end of the Roman Empire, a state that had begun around 27 BC and lasted nearly 1,500 years. Benjamin-Constant (1845–1902) studied in Toulouse and under Alexandre Cabanel, and a journey to Morocco in 1872 turned him toward Orientalist subjects. After 1880 he concentrated on murals and portraits, including Queen Victoria in 1899.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons · Wikipedia: Benjamin-Constant · Wikipedia: Fall of Constantinople
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 3,150 × 4,126 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 21 × 27 in
- Sizes
- Small (15 × 20 in) · $100 · 206 ppi
Medium (18 × 24 in) · $150 · 172 ppi
Large (27 × 36 in) · $300 · 115 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople?
Here. The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (15 × 20 in) for $100, Medium (18 × 24 in) for $150 and Large (27 × 36 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople?
The file is 3,150 × 4,126 px. Medium (18 × 24 in) is the largest size that prints at 150 ppi or more (172 ppi), the sharpest choice for close viewing; Large (27 × 36 in) prints at 115 ppi, fine from a few feet away but softer up close.
Is it legal to print The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople?
Yes. The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople is in the public domain: its copyright, if it ever had one, expired long ago. In the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999), so the image can be printed and sold freely.
