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Sehzade, or heir to the throne

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanesque Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Sehzade, or heir to the throne is a 1809 watercolor by Anonymous Greek artist, a Romanesque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

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

About this work

This watercolour portrait shows a young Ottoman heir. It was made in 1809 by a Greek artist paid to record what he saw. The work was part of a big set ordered by a British diplomat. The artist mixed bold Turkish watercolour with European style. It’s one of many scenes the diplomat collected in Istanbul. All were shown back home as proof of Ottoman life. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

A young male figure is depicted wearing a robe trimmed with ermine and a turban adorned with a jewelled aigrette. The portrait is part of a larger series of views and studies commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808. The artist, likely associated with the circle of Konstantin Kapidagli, blended Ottoman watercolour techniques with European perspective. The drawings were originally bound in a volume and later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Canning's daughter.

Read the full account in the museum source.