19th c.
Portrait of a 19th c. Turkish Soldier in Official Costume
Oil on board
This painting features a 19th c. Ottoman soldier wearing an exceptionally tall red fez (or tarboosh) with its distinctive dark tassel, a woolen waist-lenth jacket with large buttons, white undergarments, colorful tassels and a silver kilij (Ottoman sabre) that is proudly held in the soldier's right hand and shown to the viewer (while his left arm is held behind his back so as to underline his disciplined appearance). The man's attire became official military dress under Sultan Mahmoul II in 1829. The sultan's goal was to have everyone dress alike as a form of secular citizenship and national unity; furthermore the dress would be worn by Muslims, Christians and Jews so as to erase religious distinction in service. This official standard attire, including the politically significant 'modernized' mustache, was part of the standard Turkish military look until 1900.
26" x 33"; framed: 33" x 41"