Madam X is an 1889 portrait painting by

Halil Pasha Halil Pasha (also known as Bostancı Halil Pasha) was an Ottoman statesman who served as the governor of Ottoman Egypt from 1631 to 1633. He was known for his "gentle, impartial, and prosperous administration"d'Avennes, Prisse (1983) ''Arab art ...

of either his wife, Aliye Hanım, or a Parisian woman. It is a portrait of a brown-clad woman sitting in front of a dark navy blue background, hands clasped in her lap. The woman's body (turned to her right), is turned to the left in the painting, with her face facing the viewer. Her face is white, her hair brown, and her eyes dark blue. Madam X's gaze is the most impressive element of the work. Oil paints and pastels were used on cardboard to form this work. The subject of the painting is unknown, but it is thought to be the painter's wife, Aliye Hanım, or a Parisian woman. The painter, Halil Pasha, participated in the Paris National Exhibition, held for the 100th Anniversary of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

in 1889 with this work, and received a bronze medal. At an auction held on June 1, 2008, this work was bought for $206,612. The painting is currently held at the

Sakıp Sabancı Museum The Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum ( tr, Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi) is a private fine arts museum in Istanbul, Turkey, dedicated to Islamic calligraphy, calligraphic art, religious and state documents, as well as paintings of the Ottom ...

References

{{Reflist 1889 paintings