Portrait of Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes and French Ambassador.

Description

This portrait, painted in Istanbul, depicts the French envoy in a traditional Ottoman room, dressed in local attire and serenely holding a chibouk (long-stemmed pipe). The artist’s mastery of detail is evident throughout: from the timepieces on the cushion against which the sitter rests his arm, to the jewelled and flower-patterned dagger tucked into his Yemeni sash, and the prayer beads held in his left hand.

Sent to Istanbul as a representative in 1755 and later assuming the role of ambassador, Charles Gravier, Count de Vergennes, strengthened commercial and diplomatic ties during his tenure, which lasted until 1768. Continuing his success in Sweden, Gravier subsequently became Foreign Minister under Louis XVI, playing a key role in preserving the amicable bridges forged with the Ottoman Empire.