Standing Turk, plate eleven from Ink Sketches by Charlet
Medium
Lithograph in black on light gray China paper, laid down on white wove paper
Dimensions
Primary support: 24.3 × 18 cm (9 5/8 × 7 1/8 in.); Secondary support: 35.9 × 26 cm (14 3/16 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
43055
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Toussaint Charlet a prominent French lithographer and painter of the Romantic era (1792–1845), captured everyday characters and military life with witty, expressive sketches. *Standing Turk*, plate eleven from his 1828 series *Ink Sketches*, exemplifies his talent for lively portraiture. Rendered as a lithograph in black ink on delicate light gray China paper—then laid down on sturdy white wove paper for preservation—this print measures about 9⅝ × 7⅛ inches on its primary support. Charlet, a veteran of Napoleon's campaigns, often infused his works with humor and nostalgia for the imperial age, though this image shifts to an exotic "Turk," reflecting Europe's Romantic fascination with Orientalism and Ottoman culture. Lithography, a revolutionary technique Charlet helped popularize in early 19th-century France, allowed artists to draw directly on stone for crisp, autograph-like reproductions that mimicked fluid ink sketches. This medium made high-quality art accessible beyond elite circles, bridging fine art and illustration. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, *Standing Turk* showcases Charlet's mastery of pose and character, inviting viewers to ponder the cultural encounters of post-Napoleonic Europe through a single, poised figure.
About the Artist
Nicolas Toussaint Charlet · 1792–1845
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