Portraits of a Sultan and a Chinese calligrapher

Two portraits (numbered 21 and 24 at the back): oil on canvas on wooden panel in their original gilt wooden frames. These charming works come from a larger series with images of Oriental characters. The interest in the Orient and the exotic took a flight in the 18th century. Certainly in Venice, a cultural melting pot where many trade relations brought together travelers from many continents. These portraits are also clearly influenced by the works of Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671-1737), a Flemish painter active in Constantinople (see also his works in the Turkish cabinet in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam).