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Tüfekçi, or Palace Guard armed with a musket

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanesque Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Tüfekçi, or Palace Guard armed with a musket 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

The story of this work

Overview

A Greek artist, possibly associated with Konstantin Kapidagli’s studio, created this water and bodycolour study of a palace guard armed with a musket in 1809 as part of a series commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul. The work blends dense Ottoman artistic techniques with European perspective and representation, reflecting Canning’s documented interest in documenting local customs and institutions. The series, later bound together, was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Canning’s daughter, Charlotte.

Read the full account in the museum source.