Greek Woman from Istanbul

The woman, depicted full-length in an Ottoman interior, with a floral carpet and a divan, is in a pose resembling those seen in Vanmour’s paintings of single figures.

On the bottom left corner of the painting there is the inscription “Dame greque de Constantinople” [sic]. She is wearing a red robe and a cream coloured dress over her raw silk crepe undershirt. She wears a necklace and bracelets, while her head is covered with a 'yemeni' (cotton kerchief) with floral embroidery, into which she has placed flowers. She is holding a bouquet, and the large bejewelled clasps on her belt are also noteworthy.