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A Müftü or Mufti

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Orientalism Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

A Müftü or Mufti is a 1809 watercolor by Anonymous Greek artist, a Orientalism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Anonymous Greek artist
When & what style?: 1809 · Orientalism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

The story of this work

Overview

A large water and bodycolour study by an anonymous Greek artist depicts a Müftü, or Mufti, a senior Muslim cleric who interpreted Islamic law. Commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808–1809, the work is part of a series documenting Ottoman institutions, buildings, and customs. The artist’s style merges dense Ottoman watercolour techniques with European conventions of perspective and representation. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired the original set of drawings from Canning’s daughter in 1895.

Read the full account in the museum source.