CCiittyy UUnniivveerrssiittyy ooff NNeeww YYoorrkk ((CCUUNNYY)) CCUUNNYY AAccaaddeemmiicc WWoorrkkss Theses and Dissertations Hunter College Spring 5-19-2016 AA FFeeaarrssoommee BBeeaauuttyy:: MMaatteerriiaall aanndd CCuullttuurraall EExxcchhaannggee bbeettwweeeenn VVeenniiccee aanndd tthhee IIssllaammiicc NNeeaarr EEaasstt Tahera H. Tajbhai CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit you? Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/65 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] A Fearsome Beauty: Material and Cultural Exchange between Venice and the Islamic Near East By Tahera H. Tajbhai Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art History, Hunter College of The City University of New York 2016 Thesis Sponsor: May 11th, 2016 Nebahat Avcıoğlu Date First Reader May 11th, 2016 Patricia Rocco Date Second Reader Table of Contents Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………..iii List of Illustrations……………………………………………………………….....iv Introduction………………………………………………………………………….1 Chapter 1: Trade of Fabrics between the Islamic Near East and Venice …………..9 Chapter 2: Objects between the Near East and Venice…………………………….21 Chapter 3: Paintings and Portraits of the Islamic World…………….……………..36 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….50 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………..54 Illustrations……………………...………………………………………………….57 ii Acknowledgements I would like to extend special thanks to Professors Nebahat Avcıoğlu and Patricia Rocco of the Art History Department at CUNY Hunter College for their assistance and guidance throughout this process, for without them, this project would not have been possible. Additional thanks to Professor Jennifer Ball of the Art History Department at CUNY Brooklyn College, as her wisdom has continued to aid me well beyond my undergraduate years. Finally, I would like to thank my father Husein, my sister Amina, and my dearest friend Corrine who have supported me in all of my endeavors, and have been both a physical and emotional support I could rely on in my times of need. iii List of Illustrations Figure 1 Giovanni Mansueti, St. Mark Baptizing Anianus, 1518. Oil on Canvas. Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan Figure 2 Domenico di Bartolo, The Marriage of the Foundlings (detail), 1440. Fresco. Spedale di Santa Maria della Scale, Siena Figure 3 Carpet with Phoenix-and-Dragon Design, first half or middle of the 15th century Anatolia. Wool pile. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin-Preussicher Kulturbestiz, Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin Figure 4 Lorenzo Lotto, Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children, 1547. Oil on Canvas. The National Gallery, London Figure 5a Lorenzo Lotto, Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children (detail), 1547. Oil on Canvas. The National Gallery, London Figure 5b Anatolia carpet with Lotto pattern (detail), 16th century. Wool pile. Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri Figure 6 Cessare Vecellio, Family Portrait, 1555 – 1570. Oil on Canvas. Museo Civico Correr, Venice Figure 7 Loom-Width Piece of Brocaded Silk Fabric, mid-16th century, probably Istanbul. Brocaded silk. Topkapi Sarayi Müzesi, Istanbul Figure 8 Altar Frontal, second half of the 15th century. Silk, twill weave, with twill interfacings of secondary binding warps and glit-metal-strip wrapped silk facing wefts forming weft loops in areas, cut pile-on-pile voided velvet Florence or Venice. The Art Institute of Chicago Figure 9 Chasuble Embroidered with the Arms of the Barbaro Family, late-16th century. Lampas brocaded silk with added appliqué satin border and silk embroidery. Parrocchia di Santa Maria Assunta, Cividale del Friuli Figure 10 Pieced Panel of Brocaded Silk, probably Bursa, second half of 16th century. Silk velvet pile and voided areas brocaded with silver-gilt wrapped silk wefts. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Figure 11 Ecclesiastical Cope (Pivale), mid-15th century, probably Bursa, Turkey, cut, assembled, and embroidered in Venice. Silk velvet, cut, assembled, and embroidered with silk and silver-gilt wrapped silk thread. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice Figure 12 Attributed to Lazzaro Bastiani, Portrait of Doge Francesco Foscari, 1457 – 1460. Tempera on panel. Museo Civico Correr, Venice iv Figure 13 Game Board for Backgammon and Chess, Made in Turkey 1530 – 1550. Wood inlaid with ebony, ivory, micromosaic, and silver. Los Angeles County Museum of Art Figure 14 Maestro Lodovico, Plate with Tendrils, 1540 – 1550. Maiolica. Fioritura Collection, Heinz and Jertha Kuckei Collection, Berlin Figure 15 Plate Decorated with Tendrils with the Arms of the Augsburg Families Meuting and Hörwarth, 1516. Maiolica. The British Museum, London Figure 16 Plate, 1535 – 1545. Underglazed painted fritware. The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford Figure 17 Candlestick with the Arms of a Venetian Family, 1400. Brass incised and inlaid with silver and gold. The British Museum, London Figure 18 Mahmud al-Kurdi, Box with Lid, late-15th century. Brass, engraved and inlaid with silver and a black compound. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Cividale del Friuli Figure 19a Anonymous, Bucket, First half of the 16th century. Brass incised and inlaid with silver. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Museum fur Islamische Kunst, Berlin Figure 19b Zayn al –Din ‘Umar, Covered box, 1500. Brass, incised and inlaid with silver. Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence Figure 20a Anonymous, Plate, 1540 – 1550. Bronze engraved and inlaid with silver. Victoria and Albert Museum, London Figure 20b Mahmud al-Kurdi, Tray, last quarter of the 15th century. Brass incised and inlaid with silver. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Figure 21 Goblet, 1475. Enameled and gold-leaf decoration. The Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio Figure 22a Bottle, late-15th century. Marbleized glass. Victoria and Albert Museum, London Figure 22b Bottle made for Sultan al-Malik-al Mujahid Saif al-Din of Yemen, mid-14th century. Enameled and gilt colorless honey-tinted glass. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington Figure 23 Vase in Shape of Mosque Lamp, 1500. Enameled and gold-leaf decoration on colorless mold-blown glass. Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf Figure 24 Pilgrim Flask, 1500 – 1525. Free-blown, tooled, enameled, and gilded colorless glass; applied foot and suspension loops. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Figure 25 Two Mosque Lamps, 16th century. Free blown colorless glass decorated with twisted opaque white canes. Topkapi Sarayi Muzesi, Istanbul v Figure 26 Gentile Bellini, Portrait of Mehmed II, 1480. Oil on Canvas. National Gallery, London Figure 27 Mehmed II Smelling a Rose, 1480. Watercolor on Paper. Topkapi Sarayi Müsezi Library, Istanbul Figure 28 Gentille Bellini, Portrait of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, 1500 -1507. Oil on Wood. Szepmuveszeti Muzeum, Budapest Figure 29 Gentile Bellini, Virgin and Child Enthroned, 1480. Oil on Wood. National Gallery, London Figure 30 The Reception of the Venetian Ambassadors in Damascus, 1511. Oil on Canvas. Musee du Louvre, Paris Figure 31 Giovanni Mansueti, The Arrest and Trial of St. Mark, 1499. Oil on Wood. Sammlungen des Fürsten von und zu Liechtenstein Figure 32 Vittore Carpaccio, Stoning of St. Stephen, 1520. Oil on Canvas. Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart Figure 33 Nicolo Nelli, Turkish Pride, 1571. Woodcut. Biblioteca Comunale, Mantua Figure 34 Cima da Conegliano, St. Mark Healing the Cobbler Anianus in Alexandria, 1497 – 1499. Tempura on Wood. Gemaldegalerie, Berlin Figure 35 Vittore Carpaccio, The Sermon of Saint Stephen, 1514.Oil on Canvas. Musee du Louvre, Paris Figure 36 Vittore Carpaccio, The Baptism of the Selenites, 1507. Tempura on Canvas. Scuola di San Giogrio degli Schiavoni, Venice vi Introduction Although it is Venetian in origin, Giovanni Mansueti’s St. Mark Baptizing Anianus (1518) (Fig.1) contains strong Near Eastern elements; the surrounding figures wear attire traditional to that of the Mamluk military, donning the prestigious kamilyya robe1 and their heads are wrapped with white bulbous turbans, while the soldier standing behind Anianus bears a bow and arrow that is held inside an Oriental embroidered quiver. The incorporation of these reflect Mansueti’s strong fascination and knowledge of Near Eastern—especially Mamluk— culture, something that is further enhanced by the use of other elements in the piece, such as the square minaret in the backdrop that is topped with a crescent moon, a gilded mosque lamp, and a ceramic bowl covered in ornate blue and white detailing. However, it will be shown that the story of cross-cultural interaction between East and West is much more complex than simple emulation/inclusion would suggest. Venice, as a city, has an identity that, since Byzantine times, is highly differentiated from the rest of Italy, the largest reason being its location. As Venice is physically separated from the rest of Italy, it was not being considered to be part of the Kingdom of Italy until the late 19th century, and was instead known as The Republic of Venice. It is understandable, then, why Venetians viewed themselves as being different from the rest of their Italian counterparts, and how this contributed to the unique Venetian identity. Venice’s physical separation from the rest of Italy also resulted in it being a prime trading route for centuries, serving as a liaison between Europe and the Oriental world, and –as a result—has been largely responsible for the cultural diffusion and artistic exchange that has occurred between the East and West over the course of history. In addition to the presence of 1 Originating from Mamluk Egypt, this type of robe is characterized by its broad sleeves, and was often given as a symbol of honor. For more information regarding ceremonial garb from Mamluk Egypt, see Petry’s essay in Robes of Honor: The Medieval World of Investure. 1 Venetian diplomats to the Islamic Near East, discussed later on, this influx of Near Eastern goods resulted in intimate knowledge of Islamic customs, philosophy, science, and technology in addition to the arts. In addition to being a city where goods would be exchanged, Venice also identified as being separate from the rest of Italy in regards to religion. Though Venice shared the same faith as the rest of Italy—Christianity—Venetians identified as being one of the defenders of their religion, as they saw their homeland as the New Alexandria due to Venice being known to be the resting place for St. Mark, the city’s patron saint. As a result, Venice, in addition to being a key leader in trade with the Near East, also served as a pilgrimage site, becoming an important point of departure to the Holy Land. It should be noted that this perception of Venice being separate from the rest of Italy was not something felt solely by Venetians; rather, this feeling was mutual. Due to the frequent interactions with the Islamic Near East, both in regards to trade and diplomacy, Venice was seen as suspicious not only to Italy, but to the rest of Christian Europe, even though Venetians prided themselves on being the burial site of St. Mark. All of this combined together to create an identity that was unique to Venice. When examining Venetian artworks from the Renaissance, specifically between the 15th and 16th centuries, one can clearly see that Venetians were in awe of their Oriental counterparts. However, this sense of awe was two-fold: on one hand, the Near East was seen as something exotic and highly desirable by members of the elite. In addition to the physical beauty of the works, the technological prowess of the Near East impressed Venetians, who would adapt what they learned from trade with Mamluk and Ottoman merchants, into their own works. This 2 admiration, as will be discussed later, was mutual, as sultans also acknowledged both the beauty of, as well as the innovations made in Venetian fine art. On the other hand, however, the increasing military power of the Near East brought the rise of Islam, which was seen as a threat to Christianity. The purpose of this thesis is to show how this view—that the Islamic Near East was seen as ‘awesome2’—was reflected in artworks produced during the Renaissance. By examining works from three different media, this thesis aims to show that the Venetian desire for and fear of the Near East is reflected in the artworks made. Since the relationship between the Near East and Venice has been already extensively studied, some may question the reasoning for pursuing this topic. Often, when discussing Venice and the Near East in regards to the art, much focus is given on the appropriation of the East by the West. The main motive surrounding this thesis is to show that while this is true and that while Venetians were quick to consume and embrace certain artistic traits of the Near East, it is important to remember that they were well aware of the world surrounding them. By exploring both the positive and the negative sides to the sense of awe the Near East invoked in Venetians, I hope to show that though Venetians appreciated the beauty of the Near East, this does mean that they were blind to the threats their Eastern neighbors posed. Islamic influence discussed in this paper will center on that of the Mamluk and Ottoman Empires, comparing works produced in these lands to those produced in Venice during the same time, and examining how they correlate. Works discussed date predominately between the 15th and 16th centuries. This thesis is divided into three main chapters, each covering one general form of media, and a conclusion that summarizes these three parts. While this might seem like a 2 In this paper, the term ‘awesome’ is not used as it is used colloquially today. Rather, this term will be used following its traditional meaning as “inspiring awe; appalling, dreadful” as stated by the Oxford English Dictionary 3