Exposition : France, Suède et Empire ottoman : alliances artistiques

In the early 18th century, France, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire forged a network of alliances where diplomacy opened the way to imagination. Through paintings, drawings, prints, and watercolours, the exhibition explores these artistic and cultural circulations.

In the 18th century, relations between the West and the East eased after long centuries marked by armed conflicts. France, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire allied against common enemies, Russia and Austria.

Diplomatic exchanges became structured, permanent embassies were established, and travel became more accessible. In this new context, a reciprocal curiosity developed: Europeans and Ottomans observed and influenced each other.

Western artists and intellectuals became fascinated by Ottoman costumes and interiors, constructing an image of an idealized world.

The figure of the Sultan and court life inspired literature, visual arts, and performing arts, while also sparking discussions fueled by the spirit of the Enlightenment.

The exhibition presents a selection of works from the collections of the Institut suédois and Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, illustrating these circulations.

The chronological journey opens with two paintings created by a Swedish painter based on the works of Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, who accompanied the French ambassador on a trip to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1699.

His views of the city, ceremonies, and local population in traditional clothing were disseminated in Europe as engravings in the Recueil de cent estampes représentant différentes nations du Levant (1714), profoundly marking the Western imagination.

The exhibition also includes several drawings by Cornelius Loos, an officer who participated in an expedition commissioned by King Charles XII of Sweden, exiled in the Ottoman Empire after being defeated by Russia.

Confined to his encampment, the king decided to send his men into the Muslim world to document it. Loos's drawings offer a remarkable look at the architecture and landscapes of Constantinople, including urban panoramas, mosques, palaces, and interior views of Hagia Sophia.

The expositio