Louis Nicolas de Lespinasse
1734-1808
The Presentation of an Ambassador to the Sultan in the Hall of Petitions of the Topkapi Palace, Constantinople
ca. 1790
9 7/8 x 15 3/8 inches (252 x 392 mm)
Graphite, pen and brown ink, watercolor and gouache, heightened with white, on paper.
2006.2
Purchased on the Sunny Crawford von Bülow Fund 1978.
Notes
Before becoming an artist, the talented but little-known Lespinasse had a military career, during which he earned membership in the royal order of St. Louis. It is perhaps from experience with topographical drawings that he came to develop a particular skill for panoramic city views and architectural interiors, both relying on depictions of vast, complex spaces, enlivened by many figures. Lespinasse's gift for compositions with vast numbers of figures led to his involvement in Ignace Mouradja d'Ohsson's ambitious book project, the "Tableau général de l'empire Othoman" (Portrait of the Ottoman Empire). The first two volumes appeared in 1787 and 1789, while the French Revolution delayed the publication of the third until 1824.
D'Ohsson (1740-1807) was born Muradca Tosunyan in Istanbul to parents of Armenian descent. In 1787 he changed his name to d'Ohsson, the Franco-Swedish equivalent of his Turko-Armenian surname. D'Ohsson followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a translator to the Swedish embassy in Istanbul. His position and knowledge of the Arabic and Turkish languages allowed him access to the Ottoman court, normally inaccessible to Europeans. Through this experience d'Ohsson was inspired to produce his "Tableau général de l'empire Othoman," a detailed literary and visual history of the Ottoman empire that respected and celebrated its traditions and culture. D'Ohsson's role as interpreter of the Ottoman empire is complex: as an associate of the Swedish embassy he was exempt from certain Ottoman taxes and other legal restrictions, which allowed him to obtain a higher economic and social status. His project catered to a Western audience by engaging European artists, using French for the text, and publishing in Paris under his Westernized name, which he notably adopted the year the first volume appeared.
The present sheet was engraved as the final plate in the third volume of d'Ohsson's publication in a chapter on the relations of the Ottoman court with foreign powers ("Audience d'un ministre européen"). The scene is set at Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman Sultan, in the grand “arz odasi” (Hall of Petitions) used for official receptions. The sultan sits on his elaborate divan with the grand vizier and high admiral to his left. The ambassador wears a sable-trimmed robe, while the members of his entourage wear caftans; their wigs and hats reveal that they are probably French. Following the closely prescribed court protocol described in d'Ohsson's text, the ambassador and his entourage present their letters of credential to the court and a court translator conveys the ambassador's speech. A related drawing by Lespinasse,The Reception of an Ambassador by the Grand Vizier at the Sublime Porte (inv. no. 2006.3), apparently was not used for the project. Both drawings were probably executed in Paris from original designs recording the events in Istanbul by the Ottoman Greek painter, Kapidagli Konstantin (active 1789-1806) or his workshop.
D'Ohsson (1740-1807) was born Muradca Tosunyan in Istanbul to parents of Armenian descent. In 1787 he changed his name to d'Ohsson, the Franco-Swedish equivalent of his Turko-Armenian surname. D'Ohsson followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a translator to the Swedish embassy in Istanbul. His position and knowledge of the Arabic and Turkish languages allowed him access to the Ottoman court, normally inaccessible to Europeans. Through this experience d'Ohsson was inspired to produce his "Tableau général de l'empire Othoman," a detailed literary and visual history of the Ottoman empire that respected and celebrated its traditions and culture. D'Ohsson's role as interpreter of the Ottoman empire is complex: as an associate of the Swedish embassy he was exempt from certain Ottoman taxes and other legal restrictions, which allowed him to obtain a higher economic and social status. His project catered to a Western audience by engaging European artists, using French for the text, and publishing in Paris under his Westernized name, which he notably adopted the year the first volume appeared.
The present sheet was engraved as the final plate in the third volume of d'Ohsson's publication in a chapter on the relations of the Ottoman court with foreign powers ("Audience d'un ministre européen"). The scene is set at Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman Sultan, in the grand “arz odasi” (Hall of Petitions) used for official receptions. The sultan sits on his elaborate divan with the grand vizier and high admiral to his left. The ambassador wears a sable-trimmed robe, while the members of his entourage wear caftans; their wigs and hats reveal that they are probably French. Following the closely prescribed court protocol described in d'Ohsson's text, the ambassador and his entourage present their letters of credential to the court and a court translator conveys the ambassador's speech. A related drawing by Lespinasse,The Reception of an Ambassador by the Grand Vizier at the Sublime Porte (inv. no. 2006.3), apparently was not used for the project. Both drawings were probably executed in Paris from original designs recording the events in Istanbul by the Ottoman Greek painter, Kapidagli Konstantin (active 1789-1806) or his workshop.
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