Thursday, April 21, 2011

A la Turque

For those of you lucky enough to be in the UK, there is a program on tonight called Secrets of Arabian Nights.  BBC News has a video snippet of the show regarding the book's arrival in Europe in the early 18th century.  Check it out here.  The video goes on to credit The Arabian Night's Entertainments (aka 1,001 Arabian Nights) with bringing the Turkish trend into vogue.  Let's check out some of the results of this new interest. 

Jean Baptiste Vanmour, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu with her son and Attendent , 1717
George Knapton, Portrait of Lady (Possibly Mary Wortley Monatgu)
Jean-Étienne Liotard, Richard Pococke, 1738-9
Jean-Étienne Liotard, Woman in Turkish costume in a hamam intructing her servant, 1742-3

Jean-Étienne Liotard, Marie Adelaïde de France en robe turque, 1753


Sir David Wilkie, Lady Hester Stanhope

5 comments:

  1. I've always had Turkish fever! ;D Oh, I've just started a new blog! http://rococoatelier.blogspot.com/

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  2. Very interesting. Mr Pococke looks quite fine and very Turkish!

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  3. I have read mention of Lady Hester Stanhope, right handsome, she was. Scandalous too, I gather.

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  4. I I have a sneaking suspicion that Turkish fever took over partially due to the fact that Turkish dress looks pretty darn comfy.

    @Retro, She was quite scandalous which earned her the prestigious title of Tart of the Week a while ago!

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  5. I don't think I'll ever stop swooning over that Lady Hester. What a gal!

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