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Jean Baptiste Vanmour was a Flemish-French painter who spent most of his life in Constantinople, portraying local people and genre scenes. Vanmour was born in French Flanders on January 9, 1671. Nothing is known about his education and early career, until he joined the entourage of Marquis Charles de Ferriol, the French ambassador to Constantinople, and moved with him to Constantinople in 1699. His work sought to capture the local spirit of Constantinople. Vanmour worked under de Ferriol until 1711, when de Ferriol departed Constantinople, but Vanmour chose to remain. Vanmour worked for several western patrons, including Dutch ambassador Cornelis Calkoen. Vanmour ultimately remained in Constantinople until his death in 1737. He had considerable demand for his work and maintained a studio where assistants reproduced his compositions.