Self-portrait in a Turkish Outfit

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Self-portrait in a Turkish Outfit*, presents an 18th-century European artist depicting himself in distinctive Eastern dress. Created as a first-state print measuring roughly 27.5 by 18 cm in the plate, the work results from collaboration among engraver Carlo Gregori, draftsman Giovanni Domenico Campiglia, and the primary artist Jean Étienne Liotard. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, it belongs to a tradition of self-portraiture that explores identity through costume. The choice of Turkish attire reflects the era’s widespread European fascination with Ottoman culture, fueled by diplomacy, trade, and travel accounts. Liotard, who spent time in Constantinople, frequently adopted such dress in his portraits, blending personal likeness with cultural curiosity. Engraving proved ideal for disseminating these images, allowing wider audiences to encounter the artist’s playful yet deliberate self-presentation. As a print gifted to the museum in 2009, the work underscores how reproductive techniques preserved and circulated intimate artistic statements across centuries. Its tags highlighting “men” and “self-portraits” remind viewers of the long-standing role such images play in exploring both individual and cultural boundaries.

About the Artist

Carlo Gregori|Giovanni Domenico Campiglia|Jean Etienne Liotard (Italian|Italian) · 1692 |1719 –1768 |1759

Italian, Lucca, 1692–1768|Italian, Florence 1719–1759 Florence