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1 The Reception of the Venetian Ambassadors in Damascus

When this work was painted, Damascus was a provincial capital in the Mamluk Sultanate, a state that once ruled over Egypt, Syria, and other lands. The scene depicts a diplomatic mission in which an embassy from the Republic of Venice is meeting the governor of Damascus. To the left of the gate, we see the Venetian delegation, one man dressed in a red gown, and five other men dressed in long black robes. An interpreter stands with his back to us as he introduces the Venetian envoys to the governor seated on a low platform. The Mamluk Sultanate and the Venetian Republic had trade interests in common, so a friendly relationship between the two states was essential.

It is estimated that this work was painted in approximately 1511, around the time that a Venetian consul in Damascus had aroused the suspicions of the Mamluk authorities, which led to a rise in tension between the two states.