"Whether the Venetian Gentile Bellini, a renowned portraitist sent to Istanbul in 1479, or Costanzo da Ferrara, a court artist at Naples who also sojourned at the Porte, the specificity of detail in the Seated Scribe leaves little doubt that the artist drew from life. Once the debate over attribution subsides, the more intriguing issue to raise is whether one can call the work a portrait." in Spinale, Susan (2003). "A Seated Scribe" in Eye of the beholder: masterpieces from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, in association with Beacon Press. p. 97. ISBN9780807062494.
