Woman in Turkish Dress, Seated on a Sofa
Whereas other artists used pastel for lively, spontaneous surface effects, Liotard created works characterized by staid movement, a high degree of finish, and verisimilitude. Having lived in Istanbul from 1738 to 1742, he fashioned himself the “Turkish painter,” adopting a beard and Turkish dress as he traveled between European courts for commissions. In an important precedent to nineteenth-century Orientalism, Liotard regularly portrayed European clients with props he had purchased in the Ottoman Empire. His variations on this famous composition, which melds objects from everyday life and elements of portraiture, were extremely popular.
Artwork Details
- Title: Woman in Turkish Dress, Seated on a Sofa
- Artist: Jean Etienne Liotard (Swiss, Geneva 1702–1789 Geneva)
- Date: ca. 1751–52
- Medium: Pastel over red chalk underdrawing on parchment
- Dimensions: 23 × 18 5/8 in. (58.4 × 47.3 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.141.16
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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Jean Etienne Liotard
18th century
Jean Etienne Liotard
18th century
Jean Etienne Liotard
18th century
Jean Etienne Liotard
1731
Jean Etienne Liotard
ca. 1778–79
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