Tag: Antoine-Ignace Melling

Visions of how the Sultan’s sister lived. French artist Antoine-Ignace Melling. Living from 1763 to 1831, he lived in Constantinople for 18 years before returning to Paris. He counted among the “Levantine Artists”.

A Turkish wedding procession. Undated, by 1831. French. Graphite, watercolor and gouache, heightened with gum arabic. Antoine-Ignace Melling, watrercolorist (1763-1831). Image © CHRISTIE’S 2023. Fair use license. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6415579
Vue de la première cour intérieure du sérail à Constantinople (view of the first interior court of the serail in Constantinople). Undated, by 1831. French. Watercolor and ink. Antoine-Ignace Melling, watrercolorist (1763-1831). Image Alchetron © 2023 Fair use license. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://alchetron.com/Antoine-Ignace-Melling#antoine-ignace-melling-42c36d6e-9db3-4845-b140-bb6216476bd-resize-750.jpeg
Intérieur d’une partie du harem du Grand Seigneur (inside the harem of the Sultan). 1811. Engraved by Francois Denis Nee (1732-1817) after a watercolor by Antoine-Ignace Melling (1763-1831). via https://fineartamerica.com/featured/inside-the-harem-of-the-sultan-antoine-ignace-melling.html?product=art-print
Vue de la Seconde Cour Intérieure du Sérail (view of the inner courtyard of the Seraglio, Topkapi Palace from Voyage Pittoresque de Constantinople et des rives du Bosphore. 1809-1819. Engraving by Schroeder, Desmaisons, and Duparc after Antoine Ignace Melling. Image  © 2023 Donald A. Heald Rare Books.  Fair use license. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. https://www.donaldheald.com/pages/books/8439/antoine-ignace-melling/vue-de-la-seconde-cour-interieure-du-serail

Antoine Ignace Melling was trained in both architecture and painting. At the age of 19, he went to Constantinople as part of the Russian Ambassador’s retinue. After successfully completing several commissions for Hatice Sultan, the sister of Selim III, which included the renovation of her palace at Ortakeï. Melling was employed as the Sultan’s architect in 1795. His position as royal architect gave him a privileged opportunity to observe the Ottoman court. (The description is a reworking of the description on the website of Donald A. Heald Rare Brooks).