Qatar Orientalist Museum: The Art of Travel – Bartholomäus Schachman

Benevolent Turks Feeding Animals, from the Travel Album of Bartholomäus Schachman (62v), 1590. Watercolour, pencil on paper, 19.8 x 13.1 cm. Inscription in iron gall ink. Orientalist Museum, Doha

Qatar Museums Authority Orientalist Museum opened on November 15th “The Art of Travel: Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614)”.

The exhibition will run until February 11, 2013, at the ALRIWAQ DOHA exhibition space, located next to the Museum of Islamic Art.

Curated by Dr Olga Nefedova, Collections Director of the Orientalist Museum, The Art of Travel is an exhibition of Orientalist art and history, illustrating the importance of European-Ottoman relations throughout the 16th century.

Speaking about the significance of this historic exhibition, HE Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani said: “The Art of Travel brings together some of the finest paintings by 16th century Danzig masters from the Orientalist Museum collection, as well as a remarkable selection of decorative art bearing witness to the sophistication achieved by artists during that period. The exhibition will also act as an artistic ambassador and enhance the relations between Poland and Qatar, so that the ongoing strategic dialogue will continue to be carried forward by two states that have much to offer one another, in the fields of politics, economy, business, finance, culture, and tourism.”

The exhibition introduces visitors to the story of a journey to the Ottoman Empire done by Bartholomäus Schachman (1559-1614), mayor of Danzig (Gdańsk), traveller and explorer, art patron and collector, benefactor and connoisseur, who travelled through Europe, Middle East and North Africa between 1588 and 1589. After his travel he commissioned an album, dated 1590, consisting of 105 full-page watercolour and pencil drawings on paper documenting what he saw during his travels, depicting the costumes and people of the Ottoman Empire, together with scenes of everyday life, festivals and ceremonies. The exhibition, shaped and formed around the album, provides visitors with a fascinating and vivid view back in time to 16th century Danzig and Istanbul, and the life of Bartholomäus Schachman.

Read full article: Artdaily- Qatar Museums Authority’s Orientalist Museum opens “The Art of Travel” exhibition