Bashi-Bazouk (possibly titled Bachi-Bouzouk nègre)[1] is an oil on canvas painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, from 1869.

This a key point of the painting, as the brutal reputation of a Bashi-bazouk is contrasted by the silk tunic, quality clothes, and noble bearing of the subject.

[3] The Turkish title given to the painting, which can be translated as “bad head,” evokes the fierce, lawless mercenaries whose only pay were the spoils of their pillages.

Yet it is difficult to imagine this man dressed in an exquisite silk tunic in that role.

Famous for his skill in rendering textures, Gérôme produces one of his finest works here, displaying all his talent and giving the model a dignity absent from his other orientalist fantasies.