Artwork
A Chaous, a Courier to the Sultan
A Chaous, a Courier to the Sultan is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean Baptiste Vanmour. It dates from 1725 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in Istanbul, the piece functions as a formal depiction of a courier to the Sultan, adhering to the conventions of portraiture from the period.
Executed in 1725, this portrait by Jean Baptiste Vanmour is an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 39 cm in height and 51 cm in width. Created in Istanbul, the piece functions as a formal depiction of a courier to the Sultan, adhering to the conventions of portraiture from the period.
The application of oil paint on a woven canvas support was standard for such documentary works produced for European collectors in the Levant during the early eighteenth century.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1725 by Jean Baptiste Vanmour in Istanbul, where the artist was active documenting Ottoman life and costume. It entered a Dutch state collection through Cornelis Calkoen, a Dutch ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1727 to 1731, who likely commissioned or acquired it during his posting. By 1820 the painting was held by the Netherlands’ Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee, later passing to the Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden and the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst before entering the Rijksmuseum.
The painting A Chaous, a Courier to the Sultan is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It belongs to the specific historical grouping known as the Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee, which was formerly part of the Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden and the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst. The work was created in Istanbul in 1725 by Jean Baptiste Vanmour.
While the source identifies the museum's holding and the specific collection lineage, it does not provide a unique inventory or accession number for the piece, nor does it list any exhibition history.
Context
Jean Baptiste Vanmour painted A Chaous, a Courier to the Sultan in 1725, depicting a courier in Istanbul. The work measures 39 cm by 51 cm and is executed in oil paint on canvas. It was owned by Cornelis Calkoen and Nicolaas Calkoen and created in Istanbul. The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and is classified as a portrait.
Overview
Jean Baptiste Vanmour, a Flemish‑French painter active in the early 1700s, executed this oil on canvas in 1725. The work depicts a single figure against a tranquil landscape, rendered in the light, decorative manner typical of the Rococo period. It is presently part of the Rijksmuseum’s holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a courier serving the Ottoman sultan, identifiable by his white turban trimmed with a black band and a golden insignia, as well as his richly patterned shirt and red trousers. His outstretched hand, pointing toward the right, suggests the delivery of a message or the direction of travel, emphasizing his role as an intermediary between courts.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Baptiste Vanmour or Van Mour (9 January 1671 – 22 January 1737) was a Flemish-French painter, remembered for his detailed portrayal of life in the Ottoman Empire during the Tulip Era and the rule of Sultan Ahmed III.
