Sultane Blanche and Le Grand Visir (White Sultaness and The Grand Vizir), from the series "Caravane du Sultan à la Mecque..." (Caravan of a Sultan Going to Mecca)

Art Historical Context

Step into the exotic world of 18th European imagination with *Sultane Blanche and Grand Visir* (White Sultaness and The Grand Vizir), an etching by French artist Joseph Marie Vien from his 1748 series *Caravane du Sultan à Mecque...* (Caravan of a Going to Mecca). Created when Vien was in his early 30s, shortly after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome, this print (7 15/16 x 5 1/4 in.) captures figures from an Ottoman pilgrimage procession, blending fantasy with fascination for the Islamic world. Vien's work reflects the era's Orientalist craze, fueled by Enlightenment curiosity about distant cultures and trade routes to the East. The "White Sultaness"—likely evoking a fair-skinned noblewoman amid the caravan—pairs with the authoritative Grand Vizir, highlighting hierarchical splendor and the grandeur of the Hajj journey to Mecca. As a precursor to Neoclassicism, Vien infused Rococo elegance into these scenes, romanticizing opulent costumes and processional drama. Rendered in etching, a precise intaglio technique where acid etches lines into a metal plate for rich tonal depth, this print exemplifies Vien's skill in translating painterly visions to paper. Donated via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund to The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it invites visitors to ponder Europe's gaze on the Ottoman Empire during a time of geopolitical intrigue.

About the Artist

Joseph Marie Vien · 1716–1809

Baroque painter and one of the earliest French painters to work in the Neo-classical style. He influenced some of the most prominent artists of heroic Neo-classicism, including his students Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Baptiste Regnault, Jean-François-Pierre Peyron, and Joseph-Benoît Suvée. Comment on works: History