The Ottoman Imperial Painting Collection
The National Palaces Painting Museum in Istanbul is house to the Ottoman Imperial Painting Collection. Ottoman interest in Western art and culture increased parallel to the Westernisation movement in the country that was initiated by the Sultans in the 19th century. While collecting paintings from Europe, the Sultans also employed foreign court painters to enlarge their collections. Some of these Sultans and, especially the last Caliph, Abdülmecit Efendi, were painters themselves and participated in painting exhibitions, in Istanbul and abroad.