Sultan Murat III te paard 1577

This engraving of Sultan Murat III on horseback was made by Abraham de Bruyn around 1570-1587. De Bruyn was from Antwerp, and he probably never actually saw Sultan Murat III, let alone visited Istanbul. Instead, he most likely based his image of the Sultan on descriptions and other images circulating in Europe at the time. Representations of Ottoman rulers were popular in Europe, reflecting a fascination with and fear of the Ottoman Empire, which was then a major political and military power. It’s important to remember that art doesn't exist in a vacuum. Artists are always influenced by the social and political context in which they live and work. In this case, De Bruyn's image of Sultan Murat III reflects a complex mix of curiosity, anxiety, and cultural exchange that was characteristic of Europe's relationship with the Ottoman Empire. To understand this image better, you might research the history of Ottoman-European relations, the circulation of images in the 16th century, and the social function of portraiture.