Artwork
Man from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia)
Man from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia) is an oil painting by the Orientalist artist Jean Baptiste Vanmour. It dates from 1718 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas. It measures 39 cm in height by 31 cm in width and depicts a man. The painting was created in Istanbul in 1718 and entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains today.
Its formal qualities reflect the portrait genre with a focus on realistic rendering and subdued coloration typical of 18th‑century Dutch colonial art.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in Istanbul and is catalogued in the Rijksmuseum's Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee collection.
The painting Man from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia) was created in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Vanmour as an oil on canvas portrait. It entered the collection of Cornelis Calkoen and later Nicolaas Calkoen before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.
The work was painted in Istanbul and is catalogued in the Rijksmuseum's Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee collection.
The canvas measures 39 cm in height and 31 cm in width, and is classified as a portrait genre work.
Overview
Jean Baptiste Van Mour, a Flemish‑French painter active in the early eighteenth century, executed the oil portrait Man from the Island of Kithnos (Thermia) in 1718. The work presents a solitary figure against a muted landscape, emphasizing the sitter’s attire and bearing. It is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies Van Mour’s interest in documenting the peoples of the Ottoman world.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a male inhabitant of Kithnos, an Aegean island historically linked to the Ottoman realm. Dressed in a vivid red hat, dark coat, brown vest, and red breeches with blue stockings, he stands with his left hand on his hip, gazing directly ahead. The straightforward pose and calm expression suggest a dignified representation of regional identity rather than a narrative scene.
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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.
