RUDOLF ERNST | THE FAVOURITE

Private collection, France (a gift by the artist to the grandparents of the present owner; thence by descent)

Admiring herself in a mirror, a woman of high rank, possibly the ruler of the harem (in Ottoman tradition the mother of the Sultan), stands proud in all her finery. On her right is a monumental Nasrid Alhambra vase and a mother-of-pearl inlaid calligrapher’s chest with a pink silk cover. The wall behind her is decorated in Nasrid mosaics and Iznik tiles. In one of the wooden niches inlaid with mother-of-pearl stands a tombak dish decorated with the star of Solomon. The meticulous level of detail reflects the glamour of the palace's interior.