In the early 18th century, France, Sweden and the Ottoman Empire formed a network of alliances in which diplomacy opened the door to the imagination. Through paintings, drawings, prints and watercolors, the exhibition explores these artistic and cultural exchanges.
In the 18th century, relations between East and West became more peaceful after many centuries marked by armed conflict. France, Sweden and the Ottoman Empire allied themselves against their common enemies, Russia and Austria. Diplomatic relations became more structured, permanent embassies were established and travel became more accessible. In this new context, mutual curiosity grew: Europeans and Ottomans observed and influenced one another. Western artists and intellectuals became fascinated by Ottoman clothing and interiors, creating the image of an idealized world. The figure of the sultan and life at court inspired literature, the visual arts and the performing arts, while also prompting discussions shaped by the spirit of the Enlightenment. The exhibition presents a selection of works from the collections of the Institut suédois and Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, illustrating these exchanges. The chronological journey begins with two paintings created by a Swedish painter based on works by Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, who accompanied the French ambassador on a journey to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1699. His views of the city, its ceremonies and the local population in traditional dress circulated throughout Europe as engravings in the Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant (1714), profoundly shaping the Western imagination. The exhibition also includes several drawings by Cornelius Loos, an officer who took part in an expedition commissioned by King Charles XII of Sweden, exiled in the Ottoman Empire after being defeated by Russia. Confined to his camp, the king decided to send his men into the Muslim world to document it. Loos’s drawings offer a remarkable perspective on the architecture and landscapes of Constantinople, including urban panoramas, mosques, palaces and interior views of the Hagia Sophia. The exhibition also explores the role of merchants and interpreters in cultural exchange. Asmund Palm, director of the Swedish Levant Company (Levantiska kompaniet), established to promote trade with France and the Ottoman Empire, commissioned portraits of himself and his daughter wearing Ottoman clothing. Ignatius Mouradgea d’Ohsson, a French-Armenian interpreter at the Swedish embassy, published the Tableau général de l’Empire ottoman in the 1780s, offering a scholarly and well-documented account of Islam and Ottoman laws and institutions. Original watercolors created for this work are displayed in the exhibition, depicting scenes and interiors from official life in Istanbul. In addition to present-day Turkey and Greece, the vast Ottoman Empire encompassed much of the Balkan Peninsula, the Middle East and North Africa in the 18th century. Islam was the dominant religion, but other faiths were tolerated. Constantinople (which would become Istanbul in the 20th century) was the capital and the city where the sultan resided. Curator: Martin Olin, Director of Collections at Nationalmuseum. Exhibition organized in collaboration with Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, which manages the collection and permanent exhibition of the Institut suédois. With thanks to the Björn and Inger Savén Foundation. Practical information Free admission, no reservation required
Admission: Free admission, no reservation required
Source: paris.fr — photo: Louis Nicolas de Lespinasse (1734 - 1808), "En europeisk ministers måltid hos Storvisiren i Divanen", Photo Nationalmuseum