Artwork
Seliktar Agassi, Equerry to the Sultan (Supreme Weapon-Bearer)
Seliktar Agassi, Equerry to the Sultan (Supreme Weapon-Bearer) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean Baptiste Vanmour. It dates from 1718 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the work belongs to Vanmour's documented series of Ottoman court portraits, produced for Dutch diplomatic patrons including the Calkoen family.
The work is an oil painting on canvas, executed in 1718 by Jean Baptiste Vanmour during his period in Istanbul. The portrait genre and modest dimensions, 38.5 cm in height by 30.5 cm in width, indicate an intimate cabinet-scale format typical of Vanmour's depictions of Ottoman court figures. The use of oil paint on canvas supports the detailed rendering of the sitter's ceremonial dress and insignia associated with the Seliktar Agassi office.
Stylistically, the work belongs to Vanmour's documented series of Ottoman court portraits, produced for Dutch diplomatic patrons including the Calkoen family. The portrait classification and oil-on-canvas technique place it within the European tradition of state portraiture adapted to Ottoman subjects, combining Western oil-painting methods with careful observation of local ceremonial dress.
History & Provenance
Jean Baptiste Vanmour created the oil-on-canvas portrait Seliktar Agassi, Equerry to the Sultan in 1718 while working in Istanbul. The work measures 38.5 cm in height and 30.5 cm in width. Historical records indicate the painting was subsequently owned by Cornelis Calkoen and Nicolaas Calkoen.
It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, specifically within the holdings of the Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee and the Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, as recorded in its institutional data. According to Wikidata, the work passed through several earlier Dutch collections before reaching the museum, including the Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee, the Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden, and the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst. Earlier provenance links the painting to Cornelis Calkoen and Nicolaas Calkoen, both listed among its former owners. No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history is documented.
Overview
Jean Baptiste Vanmour, a painter of Flemish origin who worked in France, completed this oil portrait in 1718. The work depicts Seliktar Agassi, who held the title of Equerry to the Sultan, a senior position responsible for the Sultan’s weapons. The canvas is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the decorative tendencies of early‑18th‑century European painting.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented in elaborate court attire: a tall white bicorne hat, a red robe embroidered with gold motifs, and a gilded belt. He grasps a curved sword in his left hand while his right hand rests on his chest, a pose that conveys both martial authority and personal dignity. The setting, a dimly lit interior with a plain wall and a wooden door, focuses attention on his status as a high‑ranking official within the Ottoman court.
Context
Vanmour spent many years in Istanbul, producing a series of portraits that recorded the attire and roles of Ottoman officials. This painting fits within that broader visual record, illustrating the exchange of artistic conventions between Western Europe and the Ottoman world during the early 1700s.
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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.
