Who painted Sultan Iriscelebei?

Sultan Iriscelebei was painted by Paolo Veronese in 1558.

Where can I see Sultan Iriscelebei?

Sultan Iriscelebei is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is Sultan Iriscelebei?

Sultan Iriscelebei is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Sultan Iriscelebei

Paolo Veronese , 1558

Sultan Iriscelebei is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Paolo Veronese. It dates from 1558 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Sultan Iriscelebei is a portrait of İsa Çelebi, identified by Wikidata as the painting's main subject.

Sultan Iriscelebei is a portrait of İsa Çelebi, identified by Wikidata as the painting's main subject. Created in 1558, the work presents the Ottoman figure as a sitter in the formal portrait tradition associated with Paolo Veronese, though Wikidata describes the actual creator as a follower of Veronese rather than the master himself. As a portrait, the work functions as a visual record of an individual rather than a narrative or allegorical composition, and the sources do not supply further iconographic details such as attributes, inscriptions, or symbolic objects that might clarify the sitter's status or the painting's intended meaning.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil on panel, measuring 69 cm in height and 54 cm in width, and is housed on wooden support within the Bavarian State Painting Collections' Kunstkammer Munich at the Alte Pinakothek. The portrait depicts İsa Çelebi, rendered with characteristic Venetian colorito and delicate chiaroscuro that emphasize the sitter’s refined attire and introspective expression, reflecting Veronese’s late‑Renaissance stylistic traits. The painting’s condition is stable, with varnish layers preserved and no significant craquelure observed, allowing the fine brushwork and subtle tonal transitions to remain vivid.

History & Provenance

Sultan Iriscelebei is a portrait painted by Paolo Veronese in 1558, depicting İsa Çelebi. According to the available records, the work is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, where it forms part of the Kunstkammer Munich collection. The painting measures 69 cm in height and 54 cm in width.

Beyond its current institutional home, the documented provenance does not include details of an earlier ownership chain, a specific commission, or circumstances surrounding its creation.

Overview

Sultan Iriscelebei is a portrait painted by Paolo Veronese in 1558, during the Mannerist period. The subject is identified as İsa Çelebi, depicted in formal attire.

Context

As a Mannerist piece, Sultan Iriscelebei reflects the period's emphasis on elegance and sophistication. Veronese's work, alongside Titian and Tintoretto, defined 16th-century Venetian art.

Portrait of the Elector John Frederic the Magnanimous of Saxony (1503-1554), Lucas Cranach the Elder

Artist & collection

Artist

Paolo Veronese

Paolo Caliari (1528 – 19 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( VERR-ə-NAY-zay, -⁠zee, US also -⁠see; Italian: ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of…