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Lot Essay
In the eighteenth century, the European fascination for the exotic culture of the Islamic world reached a peak with the rococo fashion for Turquerie. In the late seventeenth century, the interest in the contemporary middle eastern world had gone beyond interest just in its archeology. By then the Turkish military threat to Europe had decreased, with the result that embassies were once again made, in particular to France and the Germanic countries.
In 1721, the Embassy of Mehmet Efendi to Paris was the occasion for prestigious public festivities, which were narrated by Saint-Simon and illustrated by Charles Parrocel. This fascination was further encouraged by contemporary translations of The Thousand and One Nights, which enjoyed enormous success. Throughout Europe, it soon became a fashion to be dressed or indeed painted alla turqua. In Italy, there was less interest for Turqueries and it was a foreigner, Field Marshal Johann Mathias von der Schulenburg, who introduced the fashion of 'Quadri Turchi'. Schulenburg had successfully fought against the Turks during the Austro-Hungarian campaign of 1687-8 and during the defence of Corfu in 1715. He commissioned in 1742 a series of 43 Turkish scenes from Antonio Guardi, which were loosely inspired by engravings after Jean-Baptiste van Mour. It is very possible that Fontebasso, who was employed by Schulenburg and knew the Guardi family, knew these pictures by Antonio Guardi.
Although a few Renaissance painters - such as Gentile Bellini and Pieter Coecke van Aelst - had travelled to Constantinople, Jean-Baptiste van Mour was the first European artist to settle in that city, where his portraits of dignitaries and his depictions of major events became very popular. Etienne Liotard and Antoine de Favray followed van Mour. The numerous drawings made by these artists and the engravings after their work were widely spread and used as models. However, a great majority of the artists who painted Turquerie scenes, including Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Giambattista Tiepolo and Antoine Watteau, never went to Turkey. It is indeed likely that this and the following lot do not illustrate a specific event but are creations of the artist's imagination.
In 1721, the Embassy of Mehmet Efendi to Paris was the occasion for prestigious public festivities, which were narrated by Saint-Simon and illustrated by Charles Parrocel. This fascination was further encouraged by contemporary translations of The Thousand and One Nights, which enjoyed enormous success. Throughout Europe, it soon became a fashion to be dressed or indeed painted alla turqua. In Italy, there was less interest for Turqueries and it was a foreigner, Field Marshal Johann Mathias von der Schulenburg, who introduced the fashion of 'Quadri Turchi'. Schulenburg had successfully fought against the Turks during the Austro-Hungarian campaign of 1687-8 and during the defence of Corfu in 1715. He commissioned in 1742 a series of 43 Turkish scenes from Antonio Guardi, which were loosely inspired by engravings after Jean-Baptiste van Mour. It is very possible that Fontebasso, who was employed by Schulenburg and knew the Guardi family, knew these pictures by Antonio Guardi.
Although a few Renaissance painters - such as Gentile Bellini and Pieter Coecke van Aelst - had travelled to Constantinople, Jean-Baptiste van Mour was the first European artist to settle in that city, where his portraits of dignitaries and his depictions of major events became very popular. Etienne Liotard and Antoine de Favray followed van Mour. The numerous drawings made by these artists and the engravings after their work were widely spread and used as models. However, a great majority of the artists who painted Turquerie scenes, including Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Giambattista Tiepolo and Antoine Watteau, never went to Turkey. It is indeed likely that this and the following lot do not illustrate a specific event but are creations of the artist's imagination.