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An unidentified Ottoman official

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Ottoman Miniature Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

An unidentified Ottoman official is a 1809 watercolor by Anonymous Greek artist, a Ottoman Miniature work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

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

The story of this work

Overview

An Ottoman official is depicted wearing a brown fur-trimmed robe and a tall white turban, facing right. The work is part of a larger series of views and studies commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808–1809. The artist, likely associated with Konstantin Kapidagli’s circle, blended Ottoman watercolor techniques with European perspective. The drawings were originally bound in a volume before being acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895.

Read the full account in the museum source.