Portrait of an Armenian Man of the Ottoman Empire

This portrait was painted by the English artist Edward Ludlow Mooney in the late 1840s. It shows an Armenian man living in the Ottoman Empire, in national dress, with a weapon and an ornate belt.

The man sits on a red sofa. He wears a colourful turban and a dark jacket embroidered with gold thread. Around his waist is a wide belt with gold ornament, with a sword tucked into it. Through the window behind him a domed building and a tall obelisk are visible.

Such works of European art are important visual sources on the appearance and daily life of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire.