What topics does Lady in Turkish Dress Holding a Fan explore?

portrait, ottoman dress, miniature, rococo, orientalism, liotard, fan, luxury

Is Lady in Turkish Dress Holding a Fan under copyright?

No, this artwork is in the public domain.

Buy a reproduction of Lady in Turkish Dress Holding a Fan

In the catalogues of the Stanisław August collection and 19th-century sources the painting is referred to as a portrait of Lady Montagu, wife of the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, by an anonymous painter. Klára Garas was the first to suggest the authorship of Liotard. The likeness, which due to the format should be defined a miniature, repeats, together with the dimensions, a lost drawing by Liotard, probably made in the artist’s Turkish period, therefore between 1738 and1742, and known from a contre-épreuve in the Louvre.The only difference is the lack of a floral pattern on the coat. According to Roethlisberger and Loche, the Łazienki Lady in Turkish Dress Holding a Fan isthe same work as the miniature exhibited by Liotard, together with the paintings from his collection (he was not only an artist, but an avid collector and art dealer) in 1771 in Paris. The miniature was not sold at that time; two years later, in 1773, Liotard exhibited it in London. The possible buyer of the miniature remains unknown. It cameinto the collection of Stanisław August much later, certainly after 1783: it was first listed in the so-called ‘iconographic’ catalogue of the king’s collection drawn up between 1784 and 1792.It is not a portrait, as was previously assumed, of Lady Mary WortleyMontagu (1689–1762), the wife of Edward Wortley Montagu, ambassador of Britain to the Ottoman Empire, who lived in Turkey in the years 1717–18 (thus 20 years before Liotard’s presence there ), but a genre painting. Liotard painted five such representations with Turkish themes [See D. Juszczak, H. Małachowicz, The Stanisław August Collection of Paintings at the Royal Łazienki. Catalogue, Royal Łazienki Museum, Warsaw 2016, no. 62, pp. 242–244.]

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Artist Biography

early life and training

jean-étienne liotard, a renowned genevan painter, art connoisseur, and dealer, was born on december 22, 1702, in geneva, switzerland. his parents, french protestants, had fled to geneva after 1685. liotard's artistic journey began under the guidance of professors daniel gardelle and petitot, whose enamels and miniatures he skillfully replicated.

artistic career

liotard's travels took him to various european capitals, including paris, rome, istanbul, and vienna, where his portraits were highly sought after. in 1725, he studied under jean-baptiste massé and françois lemoyne in paris. his time in constantinople (1738-1742) significantly influenced his work, as evident in his numerous pastel depictions of turkish domestic scenes.

notable works and style

liotard's mastery of pastel is showcased in works like:

dutch girl at breakfast (ca. 1756, oil on canvas, rijksmuseum), demonstrating his versatility.
la liseuse, the chocolate girl, and la belle lyonnaise at the dresden gallery, exemplifying his delicate pastel drawings.
maria frederike van reede-athlone at seven (j. paul getty museum), a testament to his naturalistic portraiture.

legacy and later life

liotard's later years were marked by the publication of his treatise, traité des principes et des règles de la peinture (1781). he continued to paint still lifes and landscapes until his passing on june 12, 1789, in geneva. key links:

jean-étienne liotard | ArtsDot.com (artist page)
jean-étienne liotard | wikipedia
a woman in turkish dress | ArtsDot.com (painting)

museums and collections:

the museum private collection (geneva, switzerland), featuring an impressive array of liotard's works.
musée d'art et d'histoire (geneva, switzerland), housing a significant collection of liotard's pastels and drawings.

jean-étienne liotard

1702 - 1789 , Switzerland

Quick Facts

Artistic Movement Or Style: Pastoralism
Artists Or Movements Influenced By This Artist:
- Jean Baptiste Massé
- François Lemoyne
Artists Who Influenced This Artist:
- Daniel Gardelle
- Petitot
Date Of Birth: December 22, 1702
Date Of Death: June 12, 1789
Full Name: Jean-Étienne Liotard
Nationality: Swiss
Notable Artworks:
- Dutch Girl at Breakfast
- La Liseuse, The Chocolate Girl
- Maria Frederike van Reede-Athlone at Seven
Place Of Birth: Geneva, Switzerland