‘You can sense the wrath of Selim the grim’: portraits of Ottoman sultans appear | Art

They were powerful rulers of perhaps the most powerful empire the world has ever seen, and their portraits oiled the wheels of diplomacy. Six sultans from the Ottoman Empire, spanning more than six centuries and dominating much of the world, stared out under magnificent bulbous turbans, a symbol of their wealth and status.

An original set of 14 portraits was produced in Venice in 1579, and copies were made later. The only surviving intact set is in Munich, but a set of six will be shown at Christie’s in London this weekend before being sold at auction on 28 October.

“They are colorful and lively witnesses to an episode that was the culmination of a century of exchanges between Europe and the Ottomans regarding imperial portraits,” said Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam, sales manager in Christie’s Islamic branch.

The original set was attributed to Veronese, the Venetian court’s most famous artist, and these six copies are attributed to one of his close followers, she said.

The set, which was shown at Christie’s, has been traced back to the collection of Count Gustav Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden. Photo: Chrtistie’s

“None of these sultans were ever seen by the Venetian artists. Veronese would have read ambassadorial accounts describing their properties and seen engravings or sketches of them.

“Most sultans had nicknames. For example, Selim I was known as Selim the Cruel because he was a harsh ruler and killed many of his statesmen. When you look at his portrait, you can sense that anger. Selim II was known as Selim the Full, and you can really see that in his swollen eyes and big cheeks.

“The textiles are in [Veronese’s] style – they are so rich and luminous that they look almost 3D. And the subjects have life and dynamism, each with his head tilted or slightly looking back over one shoulder. ”

The headpieces were a “very Ottoman function,” Moghaddam said. “The more important someone was, the stronger these distinctive turbans would be, sometimes with gold ornaments or jewels.”

Gifts were “the oil that lubricated the wheels of diplomacy in the Middle Ages and the early modern ages, and the Ottomans made many demands on the Venetians,” she added.

The set, which was displayed at Christie’s, has been traced back to the collection of Count Gustav Adelmann von Adelmannsfelden, who had family connections with the Ottomans. The portraits, which were kept in a Bavarian castle until 1935, are expected to sell for up to 1.2 million.