Join Talitha Maria G. Schepers, curator of the exhibition Imagine Me and You, for an exploration of how portraits played a role in European–Ottoman diplomatic relations. From the moment Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1451–1481) conquered Constantinople (Istanbul), Europeans had a keen interest in seeing what the sultan looked like. This curiosity continued into the reign of Mehmed’s great-grandson, Sultan Süleyman (r. 1520–1566). This talk will focus on portraits of both rulers made by European artists.

Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750 (May 18–August 18, 2024) explores the rich and diverse encounters that occurred between artists from the Low Countries (part of the Habsburg Empire) and the multicultural, multilingual, and multifaith societies of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires from 1450 to 1750. A myriad of cultural, diplomatic, and mercantile interactions took place during this time, either in person or through the exchange of objects, art, and ideas. The exhibition traces these multiple encounters through the world of Netherlandish artworks and their varied representations of the Islamic realm.

Led by:
Talitha Maria G. Schepers, Stanley H. Durwood Foundation Curatorial Fellow, Division of European and American Art, and exhibition curator