Artwork
The Kazasker, Judge
The Kazasker, Judge is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jean Baptiste Vanmour. It dates from 1728 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a kazasker, a high-ranking judge within the Ottoman judicial system, as indicated by the subject classification.
The painting depicts a kazasker, a high-ranking judge within the Ottoman judicial system, as indicated by the subject classification. Created by Jean Baptiste Vanmour in 1728, the work functions as a formal portrait capturing the individual's status and role. The representation serves as a visual record of Ottoman administrative hierarchy, specifically illustrating the figure of a judge through the artist's documentation of Levantine figures. The subject is identified simply by his title, emphasizing his official capacity rather than personal identity.
Technique & Style
Created in 1728 by Jean Baptiste Vanmour, this portrait is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 34 cm in height and 27 cm in width. As a depiction of a kazasker, the painting functions within the genre of portraiture, utilizing the standard materials of the period to render its subject.
History & Provenance
The painting The Kazasker, Judge was created by Jean-Baptiste Vanmour in 1728.
Its provenance traces to the Calkoen family: it was owned by Cornelis Calkoen and later by Nicolaas Calkoen before entering Dutch public collections. By the early 19th century, the work was held by the Directie van de Levantse handel en de Navigatie op de Middellandse Zee, a Dutch Levantine trade administration. It subsequently passed to the Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden and the Nederlandsch Museum voor Geschiedenis en Kunst. The painting is now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The Kazasker, Judge is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The work is part of the museum's holdings derived from 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. It was previously owned by Cornelis Calkoen and Nicolaas Calkoen before entering the public collection.
The painting is cataloged as a portrait created in 1728 on canvas with oil paint. Its dimensions are recorded as 34 cm in height and 27 cm in width. The subject of the portrait is a kazasker, a high-ranking judicial official in the Ottoman Empire.
Overview
Jean Baptiste Vanmour, a painter of Flemish origin who worked in France, completed the oil painting The Kazasker, Judge in 1728. Executed during the period known as the Tulip Era in the Ottoman Empire, the work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies Vanmour’s interest in documenting courtly and administrative figures of his time.
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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.
- The Janissary Aga, Commander-in-Chief of the Janissaries
The Janissary Aga, Commander-in-Chief of the Janissaries
An Ottoman cleric, possibly the Nakibulesraf, or the representative at Istanbul of the Sherif of Mecca
Grand Vizier
Amedcibey, or Receiver General of provincial correspondence addressed to the Grand Vizier
Seyh-ül-Islâm, or Grand Mufti
Mehmet, the vizir kâhyasi
Portrait of Mahmud Agas, Ambassador of Tripolis
Portrait of a Man in Eastern Attire
An Ottoman Military officer, possibly the Yeniçeriagasi, or Commander-in-chief of the Janissaries
The Mufti, Supreme Religious Leader