Serdinguesti, ou enfant perdu, plate 35 from "Recueil de cent estampes représentent differentes nations du Levant"

Art Historical Context

**Serdinguesti, ou enfant perdu** (1714–15) is plate 35 from the lavish *Recueil de centes représentant différentes nations du Levant*, a celebrated series of 100 prints capturing the diverse peoples and costumes of the Ottoman Levant—the Eastern Mediterranean region spanning modern-day Turkey, Syria, and. Created through a masterful collaboration, Dutch painter Jean Baptiste Vanmour supplied the original watercolor designs based on his firsthand observations in Constantinople, while French engravers Jean-Baptiste Haussard publisher Jacques le Hay brought them to life. This etching and engraving, measuring about 14 × 10 inches on the plate, reflects the era's booming European fascination with "Oriental" cultures during the Enlightenment. The title, translating to "Serdinguesti, or lost child," likely depicts a young man or boy from the Serdinguesti (possibly a Romani or nomadic group in the Levant), evoking a poignant street urchin amid Istanbul's bustling streets. These prints served as ethnographic treasures, offering 18th-century viewers rare glimpses into Levantine identities, attire, and daily life, blending portraiture with documentary precision. Etching and engraving techniques allowed for intricate details in fabrics, poses, and expressions, making the series a technical marvel of reproductive printmaking. Donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019, this work endures as a window into cross-cultural exchange, highlighting how art documented the exotic "other" in an age of expanding empires.

About the Artist

Jacques le Hay|Jean-Baptiste Haussard|Jean Baptiste Vanmour (French| ) · 1671 |1650 –1737 |1750

French, Valenciennes 1671–1737 Istanbul (Constantinople)|