A Turkish Prince on Horseback (ca. 1620–25, Met-Objekt 1046)
Original title: A Turkish Prince on Horseback
kurzbeschreibung
Pieter Soutman made the etching A Turkish Prince on Horseback around 1620–25. This impression is the second of four states. It features an elaborately dressed rider in a turban within a landscape, accompanied by other horsemen and foot soldiers.
Description
A turbaned man in a patterned robe sits astride a horse, grasping a lance. Around him, other figures—some mounted, some on foot—wear similar attire, though a few sport hats. More people in the same dress appear deeper in the scene. A cloud-filled sky stretches above. The etching employs delicate lines and hatching, with grays dominating.
Context
Pieter Soutman was a Flemish painter and printmaker active in Antwerp and later at the court of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa. The print belongs to an era when European artists took keen interest in oriental motifs and depictions of the Ottoman Empire. Such images often drew on travel accounts and diplomatic contacts, yet frequently remained idealized or stereotyped. Soutman produced several etchings of equestrian subjects, notable for their precise linework.
Impact
The etching conveys a calm, dignified mood, emphasized by the prince's upright posture and the orderly arrangement. Fine hatching creates a detailed texture that guides the eye across the various figures. Overall, the print reads as a formal portrait that underscores the exotic appeal of its subject.
Technique
This work is an etching, in which the drawing was bitten into a copper plate. The second state suggests revisions or corrections from the first printing. The delicate lines and hatching are characteristic of etching, allowing for high precision.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)