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This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, German, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Sultan Süleyman II in profile

Location:

Vienna, Austria

Holding Museum:

Kunsthistorisches Museum

About Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Date of Object:

After AD 1543

Museum Inventory Number:

GG_2429

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

98cm x 85cm

Period / Dynasty:

Venetian

Provenance:

Italy, Venice

Description:

This portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Süleyman (AD 1494/5– 1566) is generally attributed to Titian’s circle, mainly because of the inscription on the back of the painting. No original portrait of Süleyman by Titian has survived, but inventories document four portraits by him, among them two tentatively identified as portraits in profile. Comparison with other recorded portrait-types of Süleyman shows that its genesis is connected with a prototype disseminated by Paolo Giovio (AD 1483–1552) after AD 1543, when he commissioned a number of copies of portraits of sultans for his portrait collection at Como. This year marks the terminus post quem for this painting.

How date and origin were established:

Inscription on the back of the painting "Tiziano" and stilistical analysis as well as historical context.

How Object was obtained:

The painting is recorded in the Inventory of the Imperial Gallery dated AD 1772 (number 130): "Ein Türcken Kopf". Probably the same painting recorded in the inventory of the collection of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol AD 1596.

How provenance was established:

The painting is recorded in the Inventory of the Imperial Gallery dated AD 1772 (number 130): "Ein Türcken Kopf". Probably the same painting recorded in the inventory of the collection of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol AD 1596.

Selected bibliography:

Bischoff, Cäcilia, "Sultan Süleyman", in Sylvia Ferino Pagden (ed), Der späte Tizian und die Sinnlichkeit der Malerei, exh. cat., Wien: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2007: 167-168.
Deiters, W., "Is Titian painting the Sultan?” in Robert Born, Michal Dziewulski and Guido Messling (eds), The Sultan's World, exh. cat., Brussels/ Krakow: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2015: 182-183.
Haag, Sabine, Sandbichler, Veronika, Klarer, Mario, Piraten und Sklaven im Mittelmeer, exh.cat. Schloss Ambras, Innsbruck: Haymon, 2019.
Sandbichler, Veronika, "Süleyman der Prächtige,“ in Veronika Sandbichler (ed), Türkische Kostbarkeitenaus dem Kunsthistorischen Museum, exh. cat., Wien: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1997: 47-49.

Citation of this web page:

Francesca del Torre, Wencke Deiters "Sultan Süleyman II in profile" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;at;Mus22;10;en

Prepared by: Francesca Del Torre, Wencke Deiters
Copyedited by: Liz Cooper

MWNF Working Number: AT2 10

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