Venetian School, 17th century

This striking portrait shows an Ottoman woman, one of a number of imagined portraits of sultanas that began to appear in the mid-16th century, showing women of the harem as individual figures of interest and importance, although from a somewhat idealized Western perspective. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire were at the height of their powers – their combined wealth, geographical reach and ambition meant the two frequently came into conflict as they competed for control of the Mediterranean, culminating in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Despite this rivalry, however, they enjoyed a profitable and mutually beneficial trading relationship, which encouraged deep diplomatic and cultural ties. This led to the depiction of Ottoman figures and customs in the visual imagery of Venice at the time, when the city was one of the key artistic centers in Europe.

A key feature of such portraits is the intense interest in dress. Here, the shoes the sitter wears seem to be a special type of wooden clog, known as Nalin. The high heels served to protect wearers' feet from the water of the floors in the bathing houses. The base was carved from wood, and the strap from fabric or leather, with the shoes decorated, as here, with a variety of precious materials, such as gemstones, gold and mother-of-pearl. In addition to their practicality, they became items of craftsmanship that carried symbolic meaning in Ottoman society. The design and manufacture of Nalin became an opportunity to display social status – the different heights of the shoes, for example, were indicative of the wearer’s social status This type of footwear could be found in prints of the late 16th century, such as Jean Jacques Boissard’s compendium of international dress, Habitus variarum orbis gentium, published in 1581. The shoe is closely related to the chopine that was worn in Venice during the 16th century, which served similarly to protect the wearer’s feet from the wet streets of the city, and likewise became a symbol of luxury and nobility. 

A similarly composed and sized picture, offered as Attributed to Paris Bordone, was sold at Finarte Casa d'Asta Venice, 25 September 2005, lot 48. Similar still is a full length portrait by Andrea del Michieli, called Vicentino, sold London, Sotheby's, 29 July 2020, lot 120.