Portret van Abdülhamid II, 34e Sultan van het Osmaanse Rijk before 1885

Here we have a portrait of Abdülhamid II, the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, made by an anonymous artist. In this image, Abdülhamid II is depicted with symbols of power, and he wears a fez, a distinct cultural marker of Ottoman identity. The sword, clutched firmly in his hand, immediately evokes the symbols of authority and military might, and connects to the long history of rulers depicted with weapons, from ancient emperors to Renaissance kings. The Ottoman sultans, like their counterparts in Europe and beyond, used such iconography to legitimize their rule and project an image of strength. Consider too the pipe he holds, which is a symbol of power and status. Tobacco, introduced to the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century, quickly became associated with the elite. The act of smoking, often depicted in portraits of dignitaries, was a statement of worldly sophistication. This portrait is a complex interplay of power, tradition, and cultural identity, echoing across centuries and continents, reflecting the ever-evolving dance between image and meaning.