Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Selim Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey

A work made of mezzotint, hand-colored with brush and watercolor, on ivory wove paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of mezzotint, hand-colored with brush and watercolor, on ivory wove paper.

Date:

1815

Artist:

John Young
English, 1755-1825

About this artwork

“Selim the Grim,” as he was known in the West, was the ninth Ottoman sultan, ruling from 1512 to 1520. He increased the Turkish maritime forces, added numerous territories to the Ottoman Empire including Syria, Palestine, Hijaz, Algiers, and Egypt (Cairo’s pyramids appear in the lower cartouche), and also had a flair for writing poetry. Here his bejeweled dagger and mace show his military prowess. This mezzotint reflects the original colors of John Young’s miniature source, but the artist curiously truncated the pose. Selim was originally depicted seated on a golden throne that is now in the Topkapi Palace museum in Istanbul.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

John Young

Title

Selim Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1815

Medium

Mezzotint, hand-colored with brush and watercolor, on ivory wove paper

Dimensions

37.5 × 25.3 cm (14 13/16 × 10 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Barbara Kipper

Reference Number

2011.1092

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/213642/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms