A series of portraits of the Emperors of Turkey.

Portraits of the Turkish emperors from the series Recueil des Portraits des Empereurs Ottomans.

This is the first edition, first issue of the plates, which were printed up to 1808. The watermarks on the paper are dated 1808.

Arguably the greatest series of colour plates on the Ottoman Empire, with engravings after portraits by a Greek peasant 'who displayed such proofs of natural talent as to induce the Emperor Selim to patronise him'. Young's work was first commissioned and patronised by Selim III, but production was halted in 1807 when the Sultan was assassinated by the Janissaries. Mahmoud II became Sultan in 1808 and in 1810 he gave Young permission to continue publication.