About this lot
Description
A Dinner given by the Grand Vizier in honour of an Ambassador in the Topkapi Palace, Constantinople oil on canvas 98 x 125cm
Footnote: Provenance: According to Thuillier (see below) acquired in Turkey in the early 20th century, A descendant's sale, Christie's, London, 5th July 1996, lot 72, Private Collection, Gloucestershire, Their Sale, Sotheby's, London, 7th December 2005, lot 60; With William Thuillier, 14 Old Bond Street, Private collection, Kensington, London Born in Valenciennes in 1671, Jean-Baptiste Vanmour left for Constantinople in 1699 with the French ambassador, the Marquis Charles de Ferriol (1652-1722). He remained there for 38 years until his death in 1737 painting scenes of Ottoman life, views of Constantinople and as in the present work, depictions of diplomatic events. Whilst de Ferriol returned to France in 1711, Vanmour chose to stay and continued working for various patrons. The most famous series of paintings by Vanmour and his studio was undertaken for Cornelis Calkoen, the Dutch ambassador to the Sublime Porte from 1727 to 1743 (see All the paintings of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, 1976, pp. 741-9, nos. A1996-A2039). Among Calkoen's pictures is a depiction of a feast offered in his honour by the Grand Vizier, which is very similar to the present picture scene. The scene depicted which was repeated, but with varying differences in detail by Vanmour of various European ambassadors at the Ottoman court, is closest to his painting in the Bordeaux Museum, which is known to be of the French ambassador, the Vicomte d'Andrezel (see A. Boppe, Les Peintres du Bosphore au XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1989, p. 28). That painting is known to have been executed in 1724, in which, though seen from behind, the figure of the ambassador and his clothes would seem to be very close indeed to the present work. As the carpets on the floor in the present painting would appear to be French Savonnerie carpets, in all probability the present painting represents the same French ambassador, or possibly his successor Louis Sauveur, Marquis de Villeneuve, who followed him in 1728. On an ambassador's arrival at court, a dinner was held by the Grand Vizier and then with the exchange of gifts, he would be presented to the Sultan. In the present painting, the ambassador is seated at the central table opposite the Grand Vizier. On either side of them are their interpreters, the Dragoman of the Sublime Porte and the First Dragoman of the French Embassy. The ornate grilled window, known as 'The Eye of the Sultan' above them, occupies an important position compositionally since it is behind this window that the Sultan, before the presentation, would stand, unseen but observing the ceremony below.
Condition report: Oil on canvas which has been lined. The picture is in plane with good tension and the paint layer is stable overall. There are small retouchings across the surface which appear slightly milky on close inspection but acceptable from a normal viewing distance. The varnish is clear and even. Along the lower edge there is some scuffing and fine, opaque cracking to the varnish. The gilding is slightly worn but in a good condition overall.
Back to lot listings