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Besik alayi, or the ceremony of the Procession of the Cradle

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Besik alayi, or the ceremony of the Procession of the Cradle 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

Two officials dressed in silk robes carry a richly decorated cradle between them in this scene depicting the Besik alayi, the ceremonial procession of the royal cradle following the birth of an heir to the Sultan. The work is part of a larger series of views and studies commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic service in Istanbul, attributed to an anonymous Greek artist possibly connected to the circle of Konstantin Kapidagli. The artist’s style merges Ottoman watercolor and bodycolor techniques with European conventions of perspective and representation. The Victoria and…

Read the full account in the museum source.