Works on paper depicting the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul and its inhabitants are the focus of the exhibition. Fascinating drawings, prints and books reveal the diverse connections between Central Europe and the metropolis on the Bosporus.

Works by world-famous artists such as Pollaiuolo, Dürer, Coecke van Aelst, Rembrandt, Liotard and Chodowiecki, including rare and seldom-seen examples, testify to the great interest in Ottoman and Turkish culture throughout the centuries. The works present a complex picture. Some artists ponder art and music’s significance, express curiosity and wonder, and record splendour and elegance. Others promote propagandistic aims and spread prejudice. Contemporary artistic approaches complement the selection of works with reflections on questions of identity and stereotyping.

The View of Istanbul from Within

The theme of perspective – or rather, the disclosure of perspectives – opens and accompanies the exhibition. The focus is on Antoine Ignace Melling’s (1763–1831) depictions of Istanbul. The German–French architect lived for many years in the metropolis on the Bosporus, where he worked for Sultan Selim III and his half-sister Hatice. He created views of the city, which, according to Orhan Pamuk, are among its most beautiful representations:

Melling’s is an insider’s eye. But because the İstanbullus of his time did not know how to paint themselves or their city – indeed, had no interest in doing so – the techniques he brought with him from the West still give these candid paintings a foreign air. Because he saw the city like an İstanbullu but painted it like a clear-eyed Westerner, Melling’s Istanbul is not only a place graced by hills, mosques, and landmarks we can recognize, it is a place of sublime beauty.

Orhan Pamuk, Istanbul. Memories and the City, translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely, Turkish original edition, 2003; London, 2005, p. 67.

An Echo Chamber for Contemporary Issues

The exhibition spans a broad time frame, from the Ottoman Empire’s conquest of Constantinople in 1453 to the establishment of diplomatic relations with Prussia through the first Turkish Mission to Berlin in 1763. At the same time, each of its sections – Contact, Curiosity, Conflict, Propaganda, and Prejudice – explores the perspectives of both artists and audiences. The historical artworks create an echo chamber for contemporary issues.

A special exhibition of the Kupferstichkabinett at the Gemäldegalerie ‒ Staatliche Museen zu Berlin