Le Seliktar-Agassi, ou porte èpée du Grand Seigneur, plate 7 from "Recueil de cent estampes représentent differentes nations du Levant" 1714 - 1715

This is plate 7 from "Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant" by Jean Baptiste Vanmour. It offers a glimpse into the cross-cultural encounters of the 18th century, reflecting a moment when Europe was increasingly curious about, yet still quite distant from, the Ottoman world. The print depicts a Seliktar-Agassi, an Ottoman sword-bearer, and this work functions as both documentation and interpretation. Vanmour, who served as a court painter in Istanbul, occupied a unique position. He was neither fully an outsider nor an insider, which allowed him to portray Ottoman figures with a degree of familiarity, yet still through a European lens. The image provides insight into the Ottoman court, its officials, and their elaborate attire. But more than that, it invites us to consider the power dynamics inherent in such representations, asking how identities are shaped, perceived, and sometimes exoticized across different cultures. It’s not just a portrait; it’s a statement about seeing and being seen.