A portrait of the Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz (reg. 1861-1876) Europe, 19th Century oil on canvas 78 x 71 cm. Footnotes: Sultan Abdülaziz was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, having been born on February 4th, 1830 in Constantinople to Sultan Mahmud II and Pertevniyal Sultan. Although he grew up in the traditional Ottoman education system he was influenced by the material advances made in the West. Consequently, he became the first Ottoman Sultan in 1867 to travel to numerous Western European cities, some of which include: Brussels, London, Paris, Naples and Vienna. The museums in these cities impressed him greatly and upon his return to Constantinople he ordered the establishment of an Imperial Museum. His other achievements include the modernisation of the Ottoman Navy, the establishment of the first Ottoman railway networks and the issuance of the Ottoman Empire's first postage stamps. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com