Enfilade

From the Rijksmuseum:

Ottomania: The Turkish World through Western Eyes
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 7 March — 7 May 2012

Joseph-Marie Vien, fantasy costume from the Bacha de Caramanie, illustration 7 from "Caravane du sultan à la Mecque," 1748.

In observance of the 400-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Netherlands, the Rijksmuseum presents two special exhibitions. Ottomania: The Turkish World through Western Eyes presents the Turkey of old, depicted in over 35 special prints from the Rijksmuseum collection. The presentation Ahmet Polat: Modern Turkey paints a picture of Turkey today, with 10 impressive portraits of young Dutch-born Turkish people, trying their luck in Turkey.

With Ottomania, the Rijksmuseum shows how the Turkish world of the 16th to 18th centuries was seen through Western eyes. Exotic travel stories, exquisite costume books, and prints by artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt and Tiepolo demonstrate the fascination of artists with charming Eastern figures and oriental attire, although the powerful Ottoman Empire also instilled fear and inspired awe. In addition to well-known masterpieces, various new discoveries and acquisitions are also on display, including a unique 16th-century etching of Turkish oil wrestlers. A number of pithy cartoons also depict the often strained
relations between the Ottoman empire and the West. The presentation
consists of over 35 prints and illustrated books.