The Ambassadorial Procession

The painting depicts the passage of a European ambassadorial delegation, escorted by Ottoman dignitaries, along the hills of the Pera district of Istanbul. The ambassador, who has been placed in a quasi-central position in the foreground, is seen riding a white horse near Galata Cemetery. This painting is part of a series by Vanmour, part of this exhibition, depicting the phases of the reception of the same ambassador. The ambassador depicted in this series could be the Venetian Bailo Francesco Gritti, who served in Istanbul between 1723 and 1726. In the foreground there is a company of janissaries, on the left a group of people watching the procession, while in the background Golden Horn covered with sailing-boats, Süleymaniye Mosque and Bozdoğan Aqueduct are visible. On the bottom left corner a signature on a stone is visible: Vanmour pinxit.