Jean-Baptiste van Mour

Jean-Baptiste van Mour (1671-1737)
"Ottoman"
Oil on canvas
Relined
Measurements:

Titled canvas by the French painter Jean-Baptiste Van Mour, celebrated for his detailed portraits of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III. Beginning in 1699, Van Mour traveled to Constantinople at the invitation of his friend Marquis Charles de Ferriol d'Argental, then appointed French ambassador to the capital. In 1725, in recognition of his importance to both the Levant and the French government, he was awarded the title of "Peintre Ordinaire du Roy en Levant".

The scene depicts an individual figure from the Ottoman world, most likely an elite personage or dignitary, portrayed in traditional dress of the time. The character appears seated in front of a dark and sober background that concentrates the attention on his figure, highlighting the details of his attire.