Lessons from the East.(Exhibitions 2)(Venice and Islam: 828-1797 exhibition)

Venice and Islam: 828-1797 Doge's Palace, Venice, until 25 November

Gazing up at the walls of the Sala dello Scrutinio in the Doge's Palace, at the enormous canvases depicting tumultuous scenes of colliding fleets, flashing armour and swords, flying arrows, broken spars, burning and sinking ships, and waters congested with enemy dead and dying, you could be forgiven for thinking that Venetian history was one long sea-battle, with the Serenissima fighting almost single-handed to stem the Islamic tide.

And for that reason this lofty hall is a perfect setting for this exhibition, because so much of what we see in the paintings, art and artefacts on view at floor level …