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Street scene outside an embassy in Pera

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Street scene outside an embassy in Pera 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 painting shows a street scene outside an embassy in Pera. It was created by an Anonymous Greek artist. The scene includes a figure in European clothes, probably Stratford Canning, and a patrol of watchmen armed with clubs. This was a common sight, as fires frequently broke out in the area. To learn more about the style of this painting, look up the movement: Romanticism.

The story of this work

Overview

A street scene depicts an embassy in Pera, possibly the British embassy, with a figure in European attire likely representing Stratford Canning. In the background, a patrol of watchmen armed with clubs moves through the street, prepared to alert against fires, which were common occurrences. The work is part of a series commissioned by Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808, created by an anonymous Greek artist whose style blends Ottoman watercolor techniques with European perspective. The series was later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Canning’s…

Read the full account in the museum source.