Jean-Baptiste Vanmour was one of the most important  orientalist artist: this publication is the most comprehensive survey of his works. Orientalism can be defined as a historical and cultural event, which has been uniting various aspects of cultural life for a number of centuries  literature, fine arts, architecture, music and philosophy. A  vision of the East  positive or negative  based on imagination or historic facts, it has generated an exotic image in our consciousness, which has its own right to existence. The Franco-Flemish artist Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671-1737) was the art-biographer of the XVIII century Ottoman Empire. He left a very important legacy  pictorial evidences which can be considered as historical illustrations of all the aspects of XVIII century Ottoman life: from diplomatic ceremonies in the Ottoman court to everyday events of Istanbul multinational society.