Gentilhomme Valaque 80.

  • Translation

Article ID EUR5064

Title

Gentilhomme Valaque 80.

Description

Illustration of a Wallachian man. From the famous panel work with magnificent costume depictions of the peoples of the Ottoman Empire by the famous Flemish artist Jean-Baptiste van Mour (1671-1737). The work was commissioned by Charles de Ferriol (1652-1722), who was French ambassador to Constantinople from 1692 to 1711. Known for his detailed depictions of Ottoman life, Jean-Baptiste van Mour (1671-1737) created the vivid portraits for Ferriol's work.

Year

ca. 1707

Artist

Mour, van (1671-1737)

Jean-Babtise van Mour was a Flemish-French painter. He was known for his detailed depictions of life in the Ottoman Empire under the rule of Sultan Ahmed III. Van Mour is primarily known as the artist of diplomacy and clothing. Jean-Baptiste van Mour studied art in the studio of Jacques-Albert Gérin. As a result, Charles de Ferriol, the French ambassador of Louis XIV, became aware of him and admired his works. In 1699, De Ferriol was to be appointed as the French ambassador to Constantinople ( Istanbul). Consequently, he invited the artist Jean-Baptiste van Mour to accompany him there. He was commissioned by the ambassador to paint hundreds of portraits and paintings of the locals. Marquis Charles de Ferriol returned to France in 1711. Van Mour, however, decided to stay in Constantinople and now worked for numerous other diplomats in the Ottoman Empire. In the meantime, the ambassador De Ferriol decided to create a book with hundreds of engravings based on Van Mour's painting. This book was published in 1714 and was entitled Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant. The book became very successful in Europe and was translated into five languages. In 1725, Jean-Baptiste van Mour was awarded the honorary title of Peintre Ordinaire du Roy en Levant, in recognition of his importance to the French government.

Historical Description

Prehistoric man discovered how to dress in the late Paleolithic. He made durable cords from plant fibers, which he used to make simple skirts and hats, the earliest forms of clothing. With the discovery of cord making, humans were able to catch, hold, and carry. The decisive, cultural developments in the early history of mankind took place in the Near East. In addition to the expression of national and regional identity, however, people once again created a fixed system of order at the same time. A conservative attitude with strict rules, watched over the moral and ethical norms in the village. For each child, for each woman and each man, there were prescribed clothes corresponding to the stage of life and occasion, such as work or wedding. Another very important aspect for the costume was its role for the rites of passage of life such as birth, marriage or death. Especially richly decorated was the clothing of the young, marriageable people. This richness reached its peak at the wedding and then diminished. From a colorful, detailed and colorful decoration of the clothes of youth to muted and dark colors with simple decoration and a simple border at the neckline in old age, to the final black of widows before death. Almost everywhere in the world people were buried in their wedding shirt, or even in the whole wedding costume. So that they would be recognized by their partners in the other world, but also for other religious reasons. While Eastern European motifs were deeply rooted in archaic beliefs, Western dress was more decorative than traditional. Widely worn in Eastern Europe was the "sarafon," the T-shaped linen shirt that came to Eastern Europe from the Near East around 2000 B.C., and the "panjóva," the backward apron, from the Neolithic period, which at the time was meant to indicate that its wearer was fertile. The entire folk art of the Romanians developed directly from the Thraco-Dacian cultural sphere, but was also touched by Greco-Roman and Byzantine currents. Perhaps its most obvious trait is its emphatically decorative character, expressed in its many applications, whether costumes, ceramics or woodwork. The peasants always tried to combine the beautiful with the useful with their creations. Folk art is always closely connected with work, economy, social life, customs and beliefs. As an expression of the thoroughly organized peasant community, an aesthetic transformation of their folk consciousness and Romanian identity. As proud as the Romanian is of his nationality, he is also proud of his costume, which is worn with dignity and nobility.

Place of Publication Paris
Dimensions (cm)34 x 24 cm
ConditionUpper external right corner missing
Coloringoriginal colored
TechniqueCopper print

Reproduction:

42.00 €

( A reproduction can be ordered individually on request. )