Portret van sultan Mehmet IV van het Ottomaanse Rijk
Joannes Meyssens
1640 - 1670
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
175; 121
About this artwork
gravure
Art Historical Context
This engraving by Joannes Meyssens presents a formal portrait of Sultan Mehmet IV, who ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687. Created between 1640 and 1670, the print captures the young ruler during a period of intense European fascination with Ottoman power and court life. Meyssens, a Flemish engraver and publisher active in Antwerp, specialized in portraiture that circulated widely across Europe, helping shape Western perceptions of distant leaders. The choice of engraving as the medium is significant. Unlike paintings reserved for elite patrons, prints like this one—measuring just 175...