‘As mentioned earlier, itis often assumed that Sultan Bayezid ll, who succeeded to the throne after Mehmed Il, showed litle interest in the European style of painting, However, it appears that he acknowledged renowned Italian masters and solicited their services particularly in architecture and engineering. In a let- ter he wrote to Bayezid Il, famed Kalian arfist Leonardo da Vinet (@. 1519) pro- posed a floating bridge that would span across the Golden Hom.’ Michelangelo (4. 1564) also designed a model for the same bridge, and, in fact, considered visiting Istanbul? While there are no portraits of Sultan Bayezid Il painted during his lifetime, it is nevertheless interesting to see that the first series of portraits of the Ottoman sultans emerged in Europe during this period. Felix Petancius, who came to Istanbul from Hungary on a diplomatic mission in 1495, created a portrait series of the first eight Ottoman sultans. This series was presented to the Hungarian King Wladislas I(r. 1490- 1516), Petancius’ work, which offers {information on the Ottoman palace and the state organization, contains por- traits of eight Ottoman sultans up until Sultan Bayezid TI placed in medallions. ‘Yet another manuscript inspired by this particular work includes portraits of the sultans, as well as battle and harem scenes from their reigns.” These exam- ples attest to the European interest in portraits of Ottoman sultans following ‘the reign of Mehmed Il ‘As will be discussed in detail below, significant emphasis was placed on sultanic portraiture in the Ottoman court throughout the sixteenth century. Created by famous European artists, there are numerous portraits, particu- larly of Silleyman I, who nourished litical ambitions similar to those of ‘Mehmed Il and established strong politi- cal and cultural relations with European countries. Painters who accompanied Europeans arriving at the Ottoman cap- ital on diplomatic and trade missions during this period painted portraits of Sultan Siileyman L Moreover, it is assumed that some of the portraits may have been presented to court officials. ‘The foremost Ottoman nakkas recog- nized for the portraits he created in this period is Haydar Reis (@. 1572}, who ‘was known by the pseudonym Nigar, derived from the Persian word for painting, nigar. Sources provide ample information about Nigari. He was a poet and sea- farer, as well as a nakkas; the place ‘where he lived early in his life near the ‘Tophane district of Galata, was a meet- ing point for poets and intellectuals. The contemporary biographer Agik Celebi (4 1571-1572) reveals that the tavern (isre= tabad) Nigasi opened later near the Eytip district on the Golden Horn was a popu- lar venue for feasts and mystical con- ‘versations. Noting that the artist accom- panied Semsi Pasha to Damascus and later on the Pilgrimage, Asik Celebi adds ‘that Nigari spent time with Prince Selim in Kiitahya for some time. Agik Celebi, ‘who praises Nigar’ seafaring skills and particular talent in navigation, adds that the artist contributed to the victories of the naval campaigns and even wrote a book on conquests, By comparing Nigari with the celebrated fifteenth- century Timurid artist Bihzad, pointing cout that unlike the latter Nigari’s artistic skills were innate, Asik Celebi implies that Nigari did not learn his art from another painter, suggesting that paint- {ng was not his profession.* Yet the later biographer Kinazade Hasan Celebi (2 1604), commends Nigar’s aptitude for poetry and painting: “Should he paint " For Leonardo's project and the letter preserved at Topkop Palace, see Babinger 1953, For the drawing in Leonardo's sketchbooks, see Richter 1889, p.215; Renda 2003, pp. 1095-1096. * Ista 2000, p72, footnote 46. » Preterved atthe Orszagos Szechenyl KOnyviar In Budapest and prepared by Petancius in 1495, the scroll ented Genenlogin Turconum imperatorum. Lex imperé Dorn wiltacque habita dedi ‘ata, Volodslano Hangar. Rex, Includes portraits of seven Ottoman sultans. The lst ruler Sultan ‘ayer appears in his tent with an arrow ad shield. Historia Turco, which i so aided to Petancus, is preserved at the Numberg Stadcbibliodhek (Ms. 312). This work features a bust Porta of each sultan and a relevant scene Istanbul 2000, pp. 92, 95 Istanbul 2000, pp. 96-104. Aik Celebi 1971 fos. 1380-139, The second stage in the tradition of portraiture: Nigari and his worksthe figure of the beloved, the beloved ‘would walk at once, should he paint the Deautiful rose, the sighs and tears of a nightingale would be heard all around. If he were to paint the lover, those who saw the image would call it an illus- ‘rated sprit and if he were to paint a river, that river would turn the world into a rose garden." Hasan Celebi par- ticularly emphasizes Nigar’s mastery in portraiture (suret) and black and white drawings.* Aldi of Baghdad (@. 1594), regards Nigari as unequalled in poetry and the art of painting, and praises his ‘book entitled Diirr-i Derya (Pearl of the Sea); based on Nigari’s extensive know!- edge on oceanography and islands, the ‘work is replete with brilliant poems.” We lear from Riyazi that Nigari died in 1572 (980 AH] around the age of eighty and was buried in his garden near Zal ‘Mahmud Pasha Mosque in Eytip.* In his aforementioned book on the biographies of Ottoman calligraphers and painters entitled Menakrb-1 Hiinerveran, Mustafa Ali states that Nigari was a portrait artist ‘who had a particular talent for captur- ing the likeness of Sultan Setim Rather than being depictions that accompany the text, the works of Nigar, who is also known in sources as porta ist (suretgar) are paintings that portray fone or several individuals on a single folio, One of the first known paintings of the artist is the portrait of Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha (@. 1546) (fig. 51.” He depicted the elderly Barbaros, who was possibly a close friend, in profile, and in hhal-length format. The famous admiral holds his staff in one hand and smells the ‘camation in his other hand. Here, Nigari uses an iconography that resembles the portrait of Sultan Mehmed If attributed to Siblizade Ahmed (fig. 15). The strik- ing similarity between this portrait and the image of Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha in the presence of the Sultan Sileyman Tin the Siileymanname of 1558, suggests that the artist of the Sileymanname was inspired by Nigar’s portrait (fig. 67). [Nigari is believed to be the first repre- sentative of the Ottoman tradition of por- traying the sultans in a series, a tradition that would be firmly established in the second half of the sixteenth century and would last until the twentieth century. In fact, several documents indicate that Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha took with tim on his Mediterranean campaign in 1543 a series of portraits attributed to Nigar, zone of which have survived, and offered ‘them in an ivory box as a gift to the French admiral Virginio Orsini, whom hhe met in Toulon.* More important is the fact that Paolo Giovio (4. 1552), who collected portraits of renowned individu- als at his villa in Como, had access to ‘these portraits. He then had them copied by Tobias Stimmer and published them in the book he wrote on the lives of ‘the Ottoman emperors in 1577. Thus, the portraits made by Nigari and cop- ied by Giovio constituted the model for Ottoman sultanie portraiture in Europe.” Undoubtedly, the portrait of Sultan Silleyman attributed to Nigari is of special significance (fig. 52).* In this portrait the sultan appears old and tired. He is shown in plain attire strolling ‘through the garden, accompanied by ‘wo attendants, The portrait seems more ‘as a scene from the sultan’s daily rou- ‘tine rather than being a symbol of sov- cereignty. In this regard, Nigari diverts from the depictive tradition of Ottoman portraiture dominated by official poses that underline the power and author- ity of the ruler. Nigari’s Stleyman is a sorrowful sultan, who has lost his wife and sons. Yet, the golden sword carried by his attendants represents his power. ‘The sultan is shown in profile. Almost “Hasan Celeb 1981, fols 1001-1002. * oul * Riyai’-Su'ora, TSM, H. 1276, fl. 902. * Mustafa All 1926, p. 63. TSM, H 2134, fol 9a i Su'or, TSM, H. 1303, fls 1346-1350 "See pp, 192-108 in tis book for the Sieymamame. "= Majer 1995, pp. 443-456; tanbul 2000, pp. 44-145, "= Paolo Glovlo published these poral In the books ented, Elogia Vivorum Belica virtue itus- trim (dated 1975) and Vita illasirum vioram Tarcarim usque ad Solymanm 11 ated 157) rinted in Basel Istanbul 2000, pp. 144-145, cat. 2. TSM, 2134, fol 83, The second stage in the tradition of portraiture: Nigari and his works ‘51 Portrait of Barbaros Hayredin Pasha, Album painting, c. 1640, TSM, 4H. 2134, fol a H2134,y.8,