An Aga of the Janizaries
July 19, 1779
Medium
Etching with touches of stippling
Dimensions
Sheet: 14 7/8 x 12 in. (37.8 x 30.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.602.174
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking 1779 etching, *An Aga of the Janizaries*, captures the profile of a high-ranking officer from the Ottoman Empire’s elite Janissary corps. Created by British artist John Hamilton Mortimer and etched by Robert Blyth, the work reflects 18th-century Europe’s growing fascination with Eastern cultures. The Janissaries, originally formed as the Sultan’s personal guard, were renowned for their distinctive uniforms and turbans, symbols of both military power and exotic otherness to Western audiences. Mortimer, known for his dramatic historical and character studies, often explored themes...
About the Artist
John Hamilton Mortimer|Robert Blyth · 1740–1779
Comment on works: History; Portraits; Genre