Cosimo Comidas de Carbognano (1749-1814), a monumental panorama of Constantinople dedicated to Guglielmo Maurizio Ludolf, Minister of King Louis XVI (r. 1774-1792), engraved by Teodoro Viero (1740–1819), circa 1778

Ex-private collection, France

The present engraving, titled Descrizione del Nuovo Serraglio (Description of the New Seraglio), offers a panoramic view of the heart of Constantinople depicting and identifying a list of eighty important monuments and buildings. The work consists of four upper illustrated sheets and three lower folios bearing a description, a dedicatory inscription and an index. The illustration relates to another engraving by Carbognano in the Benaki Museum, Athens (inv. no.25724).

The dedication reads as follows:

View of the new Seraglio in full accuracy from Galata, dedicated to S.E.D Guglielmo of the two Sicilies and his Envoy of the Great Lord taken with the Hospice of R.R.P.P. Cappuccini de Ludolf Secretary of H.M. the Extraordinary King at the Ottoman Sublime Port - by D. Cosimo Comidas de Carbognano Costantinopolitano, dragoman of the same Court in Constantinople.

Guglielmo Maurizio Ludolf and his son Guglielmo Costantino successively occupied the function of chargé d'affaires for the Neapolitan legation in Constantinople from 1747-89 and 1789-1820 respectively, as representatives of the House of Bourbons (see M. Boschi (online article), 'Un tedesco alla corte del Sultano: Guglielmo Maurizio Ludolf').

Cosimo Comidas de Carbognano (1749-1814) was an Armenian diplomatic and artistic figure who epitomised the cosmopolitan spirit of eighteenth-century Constantinople. His family, the Keumurdjians, were part of the intellectual elite of the city and embraced Catholicism, thus adopting the italianised name of 'Carbognano' in direct opposition with their Armenian Orthodox roots. Cosimo began his career as a translator (dragoman) for the Embassy of the Kingdom of Naples in 1778, then becoming a painter under Ambassador Count Ludolf. Later joining the Embassy of Spain in 1785, he served as a dragoman for two decades, facilitating cultural understanding between the Ottoman Empire and Europe. Notable works include a Turkish grammar for Catholic missionaries and a famous description of Constantinople, Descrizione Topografica dello Stato Presente di Constantinopoli, both published in 1794. Today, Carbognano is recognised for his contribution to the important cultural exchange that took place between the Ottoman empire and Europe in the eighteenth century, by introducing Ottoman architecture to the Western eye.

Teodoro Viero (1740-1819) was an Italian miniature painter, engraver and publisher, active in Venice.