16th century sultan’s portrait sold for $481,000 in London

A painting of Suleiman the Magnificent was auctioned off by Sotheby’s for the record amount Wednesday. The painting shows a narrative of artistic exchanges between Venice and the Ottomans in the 16th century.

Initially, the portrait of the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan was on offer for collectors in live bidding at Sotheby’s starting at £80,000. A rare painting fetched a hefty £350,000  sale price in an auction on Wednesday in London. The sale price nearly tripled pre-auction estimates, which predicted the portrait could be sold for as high as £120,000.

Suleiman the Magnificent’s portrait was formerly part of a private collection in France since the 19th century. The Ottoman monarch is known for his longest-reigning, Suleiman ruled for nearly a half-century, from 1520 to 1566.

Wednesday’s auction also included a portrait of Suleiman’s daughter Mihrimah Sultan, by Titian, the 16th-century Venetian artist. The painting was sold to a buyer for £60,000.

Ottoman velvet work from the “distinguished collection of Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount d’Abernon” was also on auction, Andalou Agency reported.