For nearly three centuries, the Venetian Republic played an uneasy game with its neighbor on the Adriatic Sea, the powerful Ottoman Empire. Amid frequent conflicts, the Republic kept strong trade relations with the Empire to maintain its political independence and economic power. Merchants traveled throughout the Empire and imported coveted spices, sumptuous textiles, and elaborate metalwork to feed Western Europeans’ eager appetites for Near Eastern and Asian goods. In turn, Venetian artisans appropriated their neighbors’ decorative traditions into varying media, from rich silk fabrics to gilt bindings for books, for wealthy consumers at home. Additionally, artists in the city represented these luxurious items in their paintings, placing a decidedly Venetian twist on their subjects.

Venice and the Ottoman Empire brings more than 100 artworks from Venice’s largest and oldest museums to Telfair for a rare glimpse into this intriguing center of exchange. It features paintings, costume, textiles, leatherwork, metalwork, and ceramics from the 15th through 18th centuries that are not often exhibited outside of Italy, including works recovered from a shipwreck. Visitors also will learn about how these historical designs inspired 20th-century textile and fashion designer Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo to create the luminous fabrics that are still manufactured in Venice and prized by connoisseurs today.