Afriquaine, en habit de Cèrèmonie, plate 96 from "Recueil de cent estampes représentent differentes nations du Levant"

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 18th-century Europe’s fascination with exotic East through *Afriquaine, en habit de Cérémonie*, plate 96 from the *Recueil de cent estamp représentant différentes nations du Levant* (Collection of One Hundred Prints Representing Different Nations of the Levant), created around 1714–15. etching and engraving depicts an African woman in ceremonial attire, part of a celebrated series that captured the diverse peoples, costumes, and customs of the Levant—spanning regions like Turkey, Syria, and North Africa—for European audiences hungry for glimpses of the "Orient." Painter Jean Baptiste Vanmour, who spent decades in Istanbul documenting Ottoman life for French diplomats, provided the original designs, while engravers Gérard Jean Baptiste Scotin I and Jacques le Hay masterfully translated them into intricate prints. Etching and engraving allowed for fine details in fabrics, jewelry, and poses, making these affordable reproductions wildly popular across Europe. The series, totaling 100 plates, offered an ethnographic snapshot during the Enlightenment, blending curiosity with emerging ideas of cultural documentation. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019), this work highlights women's roles in ceremonial dress and the era’s cross-cultural exchanges. Measuring about 14 x 10 inches on the plate, it invites visitors to ponder how such images shaped Western perceptions of global diversity.

About the Artist

Jean Baptiste Vanmour|Gérard Jean Baptiste Scotin I|Jacques le Hay · 1671–1737

Comment on works: Architecture; Portraits; Genre; Turkish scenes