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Arnavut, or Albanian

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Arnavut, or Albanian is a 1809 watercolor by Anonymous Greek artist, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

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

The story of this work

Overview

The artwork depicts a warrior dressed in a white kilt, equipped with a long flintlock musket, a sword, and two pistols. Part of a series commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808, the drawing was likely created by a Greek artist associated with Konstantin Kapidagli’s circle. The artist employed dense water and bodycolour techniques alongside European perspective and representation. The series was later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Canning’s daughter, Charlotte.

Read the full account in the museum source.