Mannerism + Ottoman Empire

Allegory with Venus and Cupid

Artist: Bronzino

When: mid 1540s

Where: Florence

What: oil on wood

Portrait of Mehmed II

Artist: Gentile Bellini

When: 1480

Where: Istanbul

What: oil on canvas

Seated Scribe

Artist: Gentile Bellini

When: 1480

Where: Istanbul

What: pen in brown ink with watercolor and gold on paper

• an imperial page -→ lived near Sultan’s private residence, grow up to be viziers, enslaved

Süleymaniye Complex

Artist: Sinan

When: 1638

Where: Istanbul

What: large imperial complex with a mosque at the center

Hijra

In 622, Mohammed fled Mecca and went to Medina.

Mecca

a city in Saudi Arabia that is the holiest city in Islam

Koran

Islam’s sacred book

Imam

Leader of prayer

Mihrab

Niche-shaped architectural feature, usually concave but sometimes flat which indicates the qibla wall

Minaret

Tower from which the call to prayer is given

Qibla wall

The direction of Mecca to which prayer is oriented

Madrasa

Religious school for higher studies

Mehmed II

Former Sultan of Ottoman Empire

viziers

lead admins of the realm, sultan’s consultants

Chini Khana

persian term meaning “china house”/”porcelain house”

Mannerism

• known as “stylish style”

• favored elongated figural proportions, contorted poses, exaggerated elegance + artificiality, spatial ambiguity

• patrons favored esoteric subject matters (understood by few people)