Guided tour: The Massacre of the Janissaries by Charles-Emile Callande de Champmartin (1826)

This monumental fresco depicts the revolt and demise of the Janissary militia, the slave-soldiers of the Sublime Porte in Constantinople. In this teeming composition, where turmoil reigns, Charles-Émile Callande de Champmartin (1797–1883) plunges the viewer into the heart of a chaotic and noisy melee, whilst balancing a commitment to faithful representation with the allure of exoticism. A friend of Eugène Delacroix and Victor Hugo, this painter—renowned for his portraits—presents here a work characterised by Orientalism and Romanticism.

Booking required.

Show less