In 1479, the Venetian painter Gentile Bellini arrived at the Ottoman court in Istanbul, where he produced his celebrated portrait of Sultan Mehmed II. An important moment of cultural diplomacy, this was the first of many intriguing episodes in the picture's history. Elizabeth Rodini traces Gentile's portrait from Mehmed's court to the Venetian lagoon, from the railway stations of war-torn Europe to the walls of London's National Gallery, exploring its life as a painting and its afterlife as a famous, often puzzling image. Rediscovered by the archaeologist Austen Henry Layard at the height of Orientalist outlooks in Britain, the picture was also the subject of a lawsuit over what defines a “portrait”; it was claimed by Italians seeking to hold onto national patrimony around 1900; and it starred in a solo exhibition in Istanbul in 1999. Rodini's focused inquiry also ranges broadly, considering the nature of historical evidence, the shifting status of authenticity and verisimilitude, and the contemporary political resonance of Old Master paintings. Told as an object biography and imagined as an exploration of art historical methodologies, this book situates Gentile's portrait in evolving dialogues between East and West, uncovering the many and varied ways that objects construct meaning.

First published in 1992 to wide critical acclaim, Pictures From Home is Larry Sultan's pendant to his parents. Sultan returned home to Southern California periodically in the 1980s and the decade-long sequence moves between registers, combining contemporary photographs with film stills from home movies, fragments of conversation, Sultan's own writings and other memorabilia. The result is a narrative collage in which the boundary between the documentary and the staged becomes increasingly ambiguous. Simultaneously the distance usually maintained between the photographer and his subjects also slips in an exchange of dialogue and emotion that is unique to this work. Significantly increasing the page count of the original book, this MACK design of Pictures From Home clarifies the multiplicity of voices - both textual and pictorial - in order to afford a fresh perspective of this seminal body of work -- Provided by the publisher.

From the founding of the Ottoman dynasty by Osman Gazi to Suleyman the Magnificent's legendary territorial conquests, the legacy of the 36 Ottoman sultans has undeniably left its mark throughout the course of history. Featuring exquisite portraits and lavishly decorated caftans, this large-format volume beautifully presents imagery that speaks to the magnificence of the Ottoman Empire and its powerful sultans. AUTHOR: Professor Nurhan Atasoy completed her PhD in Fine Arts and Art History in 1962 at Istanbul University. She currently serves as the resident scholar at the Turkish Cultural Foundation, where she regularly gives lectures on Turkish art. Professor Atasoy is a founder and board member of the Association of the Museum of Painting and Sculpture in Istanbul; KÜSAV (Foundation for the Promotion and Preservation of Culture and Art Works); and TAÇ (Foundation for the Preservation of Monuments, Environment and Tourism in Turkey). She has lectured on Turkish and Islamic art at congresses throughout the world; curated international exhibitions; and has published over 100 articles and 22 books on the subject, including Iznik: Ottoman Pottery of Turkey, (1989); IPEK: Imperial Ottoman Silks and Velvets (2001); and Impressions of Ottoman Culture in Europe (2012). 74 illustrations

During the nineteenth century the art of photography in the Netherlands Indies, now Indonesia, was mainly in European hands. Gradually, members of other ethnic groups moved into the field. Among indigenous ethnic groups, the pioneer was the Javanese Kassian Cephas (1845-1912). From the early 1870s Kassian Cephas was photographer to the court of the Sultans of Yogyakarta. As such he was responsible for many portraits of the royal family, in particular during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwana VII. Besides portraits of the royal family, Kassian Cephas documented theatrical performances and ceremonies at court. Apart from a biography of Kassian Cephas and his son and successor Sem Cephas (1870-1918), this book offers a selection of 98 pictures of the exquisite work of these photographers, drawn mainly from the photographic collection of the Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde (KITLV). This selection introduces the reader to a world of royal dignity, gracious dancers, shadowy town views, impressive temple ruins and the mysterious Indian Ocean coast.

The Sultans of the Ottoman Dynasty ruled over a vast transcontinental empire for more than six centuries. Of the thirty-six Ottoman Sultans emerged extraordinary commanders, brilliant statesmen, highly talented sportsmen, masterful musicians, distinguished calligraphers, notable poets, and renowned composers. This book illustrates these men.