| Portrait of a Mameluke, Said to Be Roustam Raza (ca. 1781–1845) |
Artist:Horace Vernet (French, Paris 1789–1863 Paris)
Date:1810
Medium:Oil on canvas
Dimensions:29 1/2 x 24 1/4 in. (75 x 61.5 cm)
Classification:Paintings
Credit Line:Gift of Kenneth Jay Lane, 2014
This early portrait by Vernet, the leading French battle painter of the nineteenth century, depicts one of the Mameluke soldiers who long comprised the military caste of Egypt. He is traditionally identified as Roustam Raza, who entered Napoleon’s personal service in Cairo in 1799 and remained with him until 1814. The genesis and early history of the portrait are unknown, but it is entirely possible that the well-connected Vernet, who came from a dynasty of successful artists, was able to secure a sitting with a member of the Emperor’s bodyguard.
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