"Turkish Painter" Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-1789)

Swiss painter Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702-1789), one of the most important representatives of Turkish fashion (Turquerie) in painting, which started in France in the 18th century and spread to other European centers, constitutes the subject of this study. The rococo artist Liotard was born on December 22, 1702, in Geneva to a French Protestant family living in Switzerland. He spent most of his life in Geneva and received his first painting education from Daniel Gardelle (1673-1753). After a while, his family sent him to Paris to study with Jean Baptiste Messe (1687-1767). Afterward, his interesting drawings and crayon portraits during his travels to different countries made him famous among the 18th-century artists. Participating in a trip made in 1738 in the Eastern Mediterranean, the painter who came to Istanbul and Izmir remained in Turkey until 1742. After four years in Turkey, he returned to Europe and was known as peintre turc (Turkish painter) for his portrayal of distinguished people in Turkish clothing in the countries he visited. The portraits of European and Ottoman distinguished and nobles, which he made during the years of increasing interest in Turkish life as a portrait painter by Liotard, who tried to learn Turkish and put on a Turkish beard, reached today as the versatile readable results of Ottoman-European history and culture and art exchange. Key Words: Jean-Étienne Liotard, 18th Century, Ottoman, Turquerie, Swiss Painter