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Sarayoglan, or page to the Sultan

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Sarayoglan, or page to the Sultan 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

About this work

This watercolour portrait is titled *Sarayoglan, or page to the Sultan*. It was made around 1809 by an unknown Greek artist. The work came from a big set of pictures ordered by a British diplomat, Stratford Canning. He was curious about Ottoman life and hired local artists to record what they saw. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

The work depicts a beardless youth or eunuch dressed in a green robe and a tall white turban. Part of a series commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808–1809, the drawing was executed by an anonymous Greek artist, possibly associated with Konstantin Kapidagli’s circle. The artist’s technique blends Ottoman water and bodycolour methods with European perspective and representation. The series, originally bound in a volume, was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Charlotte Canning.

Read the full account in the museum source.