Maria Theresa in Turkish dress

The fashion for all things Turkish reached its peak in the eighteenth century, with Ottoman emissaries arriving in Paris, Vienna and Berlin. The magnificent receptions they hosted fuelled Western notions of a faery realm of untold riches.

Depictions of Europeans in Turkish costume in an Oriental setting were all the rage. These portraits were popularised by the Marquise de Pompadour: in the 1750s she commissioned three portraits of herself dressed as a Sultana.

From France, the new Turkish vogue took hold of the Habsburg Court at Vienna. Courtiers dressed in ‘Turkish’ costume (or what was regarded as such) and danced at balls in oriental finery. Even weddings were held in oriental-type settings.

The nuptials of the Prince-elector of Saxony, Friedrich August II, and the Austrian Archduchess Maria Josepha in 1719 reflected the fascination of the court with the exotic Orient: for the celebrations the father of the bride had a palace in ‘Turkish style’ erected and provided janissaries as an escort; Turkish tents were erected to receive the bride and at the wedding banquet the guests, who included the Turkish ambassador, were requested to appear in Turkish costume.