History. See the future. It’s in the past.

Come along to this history course and learn about Turquerie – a fashion and art trend popular in Western Europe from the 17th to 18th centuries that imitated aspects of Turkish art and culture.

The art trend inspired by ‘all things Turkish’ influenced European aristocracy and elite in Paris, London, Saxony, Poland, Sweden and other capitals. Turquerie affected most aspects of European cultural creativity including costumes, paintings, architecture, music, theatre, plays, ballets and operas. Ottoman art and culture inspired European aristocracy, including Louis XVI, Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette.

Concurrently, at the Ottoman court in Istanbul, the love of flowers by the sultans ushered in the Tulip Age (1718-30), reflected in the works of court poet Nedim. The Tulip Age epitomised the ‘opening to the West’ and ‘all things European’ influenced art and architecture in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman rococo and baroque styles blossomed throughout the century with distinctively Ottoman flair.

Aims

The aim of the course is to provide you with an understanding of the cultural and artistic exchanges between the Ottoman Empire and European court in the 18th century.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• discuss the nature of 18th century artistic trend in Europe and the Ottoman Empire
• identify the simultaneous aes