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John Young

Othman Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey

1815
Mezzotint, hand-colored with brush and watercolor, on ivory wove paper
37.5 × 25.3 cm (14.8 × 10 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The engraver John Young produced several books of mezzotints after paintings in British collections. Sultan Selim III commissioned him to make a series after portraits of the emperors of Turkey before 1807, but production halted when janissaries assassinated the sultan. Mahmoud II ascended the throne, and Young resumed work in 1810. There were 28 mezzotints in this expansive example of the Ottoman Empire’s patronage of Western artists. This sheet shows the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Othman (or Osman) the first. He reigned from 1299 to 1326 and was said to be a great tactician known for his stern demeanor and bushy moustache.

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Abdul Hamid Khan, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyAbdul Hamid Khan, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyOrkan Kahn, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyOrkan Kahn, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyOthman Kahn III, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyOthman Kahn III, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyAchmet Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyAchmet Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeySoliman Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeySoliman Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyBajazet Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyBajazet Kahn I, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeySelim Kahn III, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeySelim Kahn III, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyMustapha Kahn, from Portraits of the Emperors of TurkeyMustapha Kahn, from Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey

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