Portrait of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (after Cranach?)

Artists

Description

This portrait of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, along with the portrait of Francis I were made by the Ottoman court artist Haydar (Nigari). The inscription under the portrait states that one of them is [of] Spain and the other France. The inscription below the portrait of Francis contains the artist’s name and fictitiously proclaims that they [Francis and Charles] visited Sultan Selim II (r. 1566-74) to collect an imperial decree. While the two monarchs, archrivals of the Ottoman sultans, never set foot in the Ottoman capital, images of their likenesses did, providing the artist with prototypes. Here, Nigari has taken as his model an unknown portrait of Charles V possibly a print modeled after Charles’ portrait by Lucas Cranach. Charles, shown in profile view is depicted in European headdress and costume. The artist executed the portrait using minimal depth. The artist Haydar Nigari was a sea captain and was in charge of the Ottoman Imperial Naval yards. He was also a poet and close companion of Selim II during his princedom and rule. Both portraits were most likely later included in an album made for Ahmed I (r. 1603-17) partially known as the Bellini album.

Dimensions

22.9 x 12.8 cm (9 x 5 1/16 in.)

Provenance

Possibly Imperial Library, Istanbul. F.R. Martin (1912). [Kirkor Minassian, Paris or New York, (after 1912 -1945?)], by descent; to [Adrienne Minassian, New York (1945?)-29 April 1965], sold; to Edwin Binney, 3rd, 1965, bequest; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1985. Footnotes: See: Edwin Binney, 3rd, "Turkish Treasures From the Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd", Portland Art Museum, Portland Oregon, 1979, p. 25. See: F.R. Martin, "The Miniature Painting and Painters of Persian India and Turkey from the 8th to the 18th Century" London, 1912 p. 93. Kirkor Minassian died in 1943 or 1944 according to the History of the Minassian Collection at Brown University.